How much is the toll on SR-125 (South Bay Expressway), and how do you pay it?
The 10-mile South Bay Expressway (SR-125) costs $0.50 to $2.75 a trip with FasTrak and $2 to $3.50 in cash or by card at the ramps. Pay-by-Plate adds $2 and is due within four business days, or a $40+ penalty applies.
- FasTrak
- $0.50–$2.75
- Cash or card
- $2–$3.50
- Pay-by-Plate
- +$2
- Penalty
- $40+
Per trip, by distance
Machines at the ramps
Due in 4 business days
Minimum, plus the toll
The short version
- The tolled stretch of SR-125 runs 10 miles from SR-54 in Spring Valley to Otay Mesa Road/SR-905 near the border.
- FasTrak trips cost $0.50 to $2.75; cash or credit card trips cost $2 to $3.50, depending on distance.
- Pay-by-Plate costs $2 more than cash or card, and must be paid within four business days; no bill is mailed.
- Unpaid tolls start at a $40 minimum penalty plus the toll, and can lead to a DMV registration hold.
- SANDAG and Caltrans are studying making it toll-free, but as of November 6, 2026 no end date has been set.
State Route 125 is San Diego County's only toll road. The tolled section, branded the South Bay Expressway, is a 10-mile run through eastern Chula Vista from SR-54 in Spring Valley to Otay Mesa Road and SR-905 near the border, and more than 50,000 drivers use it a day. It's often the fastest way between East County and Otay Mesa, but it catches out visitors and rental-car drivers who don't realize there's no free option once they're on it. We checked the rates on the expressway's own FAQ on November 6, 2026.
Three ways to pay
| FasTrak | Cash or credit card | Pay-by-Plate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toll per trip | $0.50 to $2.75 | $2 to $3.50 | $2 more than cash/card |
| How | Transponder; tolls charged automatically | Machines at the ramps take coins, bills and cards | Online, by phone, by mail or in person after your trip |
| Catch | Need an account and transponder | Machines give no change | Due in 4 business days; no bill is mailed |
| Best for | Anyone who uses it more than now and then | One-off trips | If you drove past without paying |
FasTrak
- Toll per trip
- $0.50 to $2.75
- How
- Transponder; tolls charged automatically
- Catch
- Need an account and transponder
- Best for
- Anyone who uses it more than now and then
Cash or credit card
- Toll per trip
- $2 to $3.50
- How
- Machines at the ramps take coins, bills and cards
- Catch
- Machines give no change
- Best for
- One-off trips
Pay-by-Plate
- Toll per trip
- $2 more than cash/card
- How
- Online, by phone, by mail or in person after your trip
- Catch
- Due in 4 business days; no bill is mailed
- Best for
- If you drove past without paying
| Where you can get on or off | Notes |
|---|---|
| SR-54 (north end) | Spring Valley; toll machines at the northbound entrance |
| San Miguel Ranch Road | Interchange |
| East H Street | Interchange |
| Otay Lakes Road / Telegraph Canyon Road | Interchange |
| Olympic Parkway | Interchange |
| Birch Road | Interchange |
| Otay Mesa Road / SR-905 (south end) | Otay Mesa Toll Plaza; attendants weekdays 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
SR-54 (north end)
Spring Valley; toll machines at the northbound entrance
San Miguel Ranch Road
Interchange
East H Street
Interchange
Otay Lakes Road / Telegraph Canyon Road
Interchange
Olympic Parkway
Interchange
Birch Road
Interchange
Otay Mesa Road / SR-905 (south end)
Otay Mesa Toll Plaza; attendants weekdays 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
South Bay Expressway 'About SBX' and FAQ pages. Checked November 6, 2026.
Will the toll go away?
From private toll road to public debt
- 2007
Opens
Built and run by a private operator
- 2010
Bankruptcy
The operator files for Chapter 11 with traffic well below forecasts
- 2011
SANDAG buys it
Bought with a loan the agency is still repaying
- July 2022
Board backs a 2027 end
SANDAG votes to pursue paying off the debt and ending tolls by 2027
- April 2026Now
Study underway
SANDAG and Caltrans study a toll-free road; payments projected through 2043
- 2007
Opens
Built and run by a private operator
- 2010
Bankruptcy
The operator files for Chapter 11 with traffic well below forecasts
- 2011
SANDAG buys it
Bought with a loan the agency is still repaying
- July 2022
Board backs a 2027 end
SANDAG votes to pursue paying off the debt and ending tolls by 2027
- NowApril 2026
Study underway
SANDAG and Caltrans study a toll-free road; payments projected through 2043
Sources: AARoads (opening, bankruptcy), Chula Vista Today (July 2022), inewsource (April 2026). Checked November 6, 2026.
South Bay leaders have pushed for years to scrap the toll, pointing to traffic on I-5 and I-805. In July 2022 SANDAG's board unanimously backed a plan to pay off the road's debt and end tolls by 2027. But as inewsource reported in April 2026, SANDAG still owes more than $155 million from the 2011 purchase and projects payments of up to $13.8 million a year through 2043. SANDAG and Caltrans are studying a toll-free road and the cost of handing it back to Caltrans; a SANDAG spokesperson said a preliminary analysis would go to the board 'in the coming months'.
San Diego's other pay-to-drive option is the I-15 Express Lanes: see how the I-15 Express Lanes work. Heading to the border at Otay Mesa or San Ysidro? Check border wait times and SENTRI lanes.
Is this still right?
We last checked this tip against its sources on November 6, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.
Prices, fees, hours and rules change, often at the start of a year or season. Confirm with the official source linked below before you rely on a number.
This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
- PrimaryFAQ
South Bay Expressway (SANDAG) · Checked November 6, 2026
Toll ranges by payment type, Pay-by-Plate surcharge and four-day deadline, $40 minimum penalty, rentals, motorcycles, plaza hours
- PrimaryAbout SBX
South Bay Expressway (SANDAG) · Checked November 6, 2026
10-mile length, endpoints and interchanges
inewsource · Published April 16, 2026
50,000+ daily drivers; $155M+ owed; payments through 2043; study status
Chula Vista Today · Published July 10, 2022
July 2022 board resolution targeting debt payoff by 2027
- BackgroundCalifornia State Route 125
AARoads Wiki · Checked November 6, 2026
2007 opening, 2010 bankruptcy, 2011 SANDAG purchase