Motorists using express toll lanes planned for part of the Capital Beltway and Interstate 270 in Maryland would pay up to $3.76 per mile to buy their way out of traffic congestion under final toll rates approved Thursday by the board for the Maryland Transportation Authority.

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       The rates are the same as the board last discussed in September and follow a months-long public feedback period during which about three out of four commenters said the lanes would be too pricey and unfairly favor wealthier motorists. Under the toll rate ranges approved, motorists in heavy traffic would pay up to $18 and, in cases of unusually bad congestion, up to $45 to use the entire 12-mile segment between the Virginia side of the American Legion Bridge and I-370 in Rockville. Most tractor-trailers would pay up to $9 per mile and, in the worst congestion, up to about $22 per mile.

       Authority officials say tolls for passenger vehicles would average $3 to $5 over the day for a typical seven-mile trip and are in line with those charged in Northern Virginia.

       The toll lanes would be the first in Maryland with “dynamic” pricing. As in Northern Virginia, toll prices would fluctuate by highway segment up to every five minutes — getting more expensive as the lanes fill up — to keep them flowing at 45 mph or faster.

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       Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has made construction of the lanes one of his signature infrastructure projects, saying they will provide a faster and more reliable trip for motorists and freight drivers stuck in some of the country’s worst traffic congestion. State officials say most motorists primarily use the lanes in other states when they need to be somewhere on time, such as to an appointment or day-care pickup.

       The state’s plan is still in early stages of design, and the lanes, if construction is approved, would not open for about five years. However, the state had to finalize the toll rates as part of negotiating a 50-year contract in which a consortium of companies would finance construction, build the lanes and operate them in exchange for keeping most of the toll revenue. State officials recently selected a team led by Australian toll road operator Transurban and Australian investment bank Macquarie to develop a long-term proposal.

       Maryland would be the only state besides Texas to impose a lower per-mile “soft cap rate” — $1.50 for passenger vehicles and $9 for most tractor-trailers — that could be exceeded temporarily when the toll lanes become too crowded or bog down below 50 mph. Authority officials have said the soft cap rate would prevent price gouging and sticker shock by requiring that tolls increase only when necessary and then in a gradual, formulaic way.

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       The authority had previously lowered the minimum rate to 17 cents per mile — down from 20 cents — to cover basic transaction costs after receiving public feedback over the summer. That minimum rate would match that on the Intercounty Connector. The maximum per-mile rate would be charged in certain segments only in “extremely rare” circumstances, such as during severe weather or a major collision, authority officials said.

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       Buses, motorcycles and vehicles with three or more people would use the lanes free of charge. The rates would rise over time to account for inflation and growth in the region’s population, employment and incomes — a plan opposed by 76 percent of commenters.

       The regular lanes, which would be rebuilt, would remain free. The 60-year-old American Legion Bridge, a major chokepoint in the region, also would be widened and replaced.

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       Many of the three out of four commenters who opposed the toll rates pricing structure said they generally object to paying tolls and that the ranges under consideration would be too expensive. Others said highways should remain free as a public good, expressing skepticism that profit-seeking companies and investors would operate them in the best interest of Maryland motorists.