The last hand-collected toll at Card Sound Bridge will be taken July 31.
The toll gate at the Miami-Dade-Monroe County line was one of the last human-staffed tolls in South Florida. For decades, the toll has been $1 for most vehicles, with an extra 50 cents for each additional axle.
Construction on the new automated toll system will start Aug. 1. That will include a Sunpass electronic tolling system. While it's under construction, no tolls will be collected. It's scheduled for completion in February of next year, according to a press release from Monroe County.
The county typically collects about $1 million a year from the tolls. The new toll has not yet been set. The Monroe County Commission is scheduled to discuss that in the fall.
Four fulltime and five part-time toll collectors work at the booth. Card Sound Road is one of two routes that connect the Florida Keys to the mainland, reaching North Key Largo near the entrance to the Ocean Reef Club.
