State officials on Friday voted to continue the toll charge on metro Atlanta's Georgia 400 until 2020. The decision came after a meeting of the State Road and Tollway Authority, of which Governor Sonny Perdue chairs.

Georgia 400 serves thousands of commuters daily between Atlanta and north Georgia.

The move goes against a promise made to residents two decades ago that the 50-cent tolls would be removed when bonds were paid off at the end of 2011. Officials point to population growth as one of the reasons tolls need to be extended to pay for projects.

An issue is whether the state can afford to give up the revenue it gets from the toll and still complete promised highway projects.

Contributors: Associated Press

Tags: budget, Department of Transportation, Governor Sonny Perdue, Georgia 400, toll road, highway projects, State Road and Tollway Authority