Within the next few days all 13 toll booths on the Coquihalla Highway will come down.

Premier Gordon Campbell got the process going on Thursday afternoon when he started the demolition.

"Removing the tolls on the Coquihalla Highway puts money back in the pockets of commuters, tourists and truck drivers who regularly drive this highway," Campbell says. "This will translate into savings of hundreds of dollars each year for the average regular user, and thousands of dollars for the truck drivers who rely on this important transportation route."

He says without the tolls people will be more likely to travel the highway, and that is good news to the communities in the Interior of B.C. He says the construction of the highway helped make the Okanagan one of the fastest growing areas in the province.

"This is a major step forward for British Columbia and will be a big help for business," he says. "We have to keep our economy moving forward."

He adds that during difficult times it is important that people take advantage of any opportunities they get to stay strong.

"I hope that in Merritt, as we develop the Country Music Capital of Canada that they take full advantage of the fact that we've taken the tolls off the Coquihalla," he adds.

Logan Lake Mayor Ella Brown says no tolls is good news for her community.

"After hearing some of the stats, I see that this will be awesome for Logan Lake and tourism," she says.

She adds that not only will be good for the events they have planned for the community but also for all the other things Logan Lake has to offer like recreation.

"Boys with their toys love this area and now it is easier for them to come up."

As the demolition continues the area of the toll plaza and booths will be cleaned up, and soon traffic will flow straight through without any interruptions. A portion of the road will have to be repaved and have new markings. As for the other buildings on site, all will be demolished with the exception of the washrooms which will remain as a rest area.

The Liberals have taken a lot of heat since it was announced that the toll plaza would go because in the past six months they have spent an estimated $100,000 on repairs to the administration building. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Kevin Falcon says that couldn't be avoided because they had to maintain a safe work environment.

"The workers deserve a work place where it's not leaking on top of them and they've got toilets that work," he says. "That's the investment we made. I make no apologies for that."

The premier says the majority of the materials that can be saved will be recycled or reused. All of the electronic equipment has already been removed and will be used elsewhere or sold, along with other materials.

Guy Duchaine, general manager with VSA Highway Maintenance, says it will take them a while to get the area completed, but he is confident they won't have any problems along the way.

He warns that during the decommission period there may be brief interruptions in traffic and a 30 km/hr speed limit will be in effect. Once it is finished, for the first time in more than two decades, traffic will flow uninterrupted from the Lower Mainland to Kamloops.