495 Express Lanes toll rises over $31 during Thursday's evening rush hour

A traffic incident on the 495 Express Lanes caused tolls to spike over $30 during Thursday's evening rush hour.

FOX 5 staff member Raisa Crespo tweeted out a picture showing drivers heading southbound on I-495 were being charged $31.30 to travel from the start of the Express Lanes all the way to I-395/95. For those traveling to westbound I-66 West, the toll was $17.60.

According to Transurban, the company that operates the Express Lanes, the traffic incident caused the lanes to be blocked and the tolls increased to deter drivers from getting onto the Express Lanes.

"The incident resulted in both lanes blocked for a period, but all lanes are now open, with normal travel speeds after I-66," Transurban spokesperson Mike McGurk said in an email to FOX 5. "Also learned that one the vehicles involved was a bus. Because a specialized tow truck had to be brought in to safely clear the bus, it takes a bit more time to clear the travel lane. We're continuing to monitor but expect speeds to begin improving with the Lanes now clear."

With the incident cleared, Transurban said the tolls should decrease.

This is not the first time Express Lanes tolls went over $30. Back in January before the first snowstorm of the year took place, salt and plow trucks prepping for the winter weather caused traffic to slow during the evening rush hour and led to a huge increase in price on the Express Lanes.