As of 1 July, tolls paid at the Las Americas, Duarte and San Cristobal points will be charging vehicles RD$21 each way, up from RD$15. The Mejia administration had increased the toll from where it stood at RD$5 during the Fernandez administration in 2000. The Banco de Reservas had requested the funds to pay governmental debts. Upon announcing the increase of the toll from RD$5 to RD$15, President Mejia had argued that the money was needed for the maintenance of highways. Press reports have criticized the lack of maintenance to the highways during the Mejia government.
On 20 May, the Ministry of Public Works requested from the Central Bank a letter of credit for US$7,431,200 in favor of the company Caribbean Toll Corporation (CTC). The letter of credit is payable in seven years and would be paid back with the income from the tolls over the coming years. A new toll booth is to be situated in Carretera Mella as of August. Several others are under construction.
The Ministry of Public Works says that President Hipolito Mejia has the final word on whether the tolls will go up on 1 July.