In 2008, 30,000 vehicles a day traveled on the expressway, which fulfilled state expectations; however, complaints were made about the toll machines, due to their low height and needing the exact amount of the toll. In late 2009, the South Bay Expressway partnership that operated the road questioned the value of the toll road for property tax purposes, saying that it was worth $330 million less than it was originally valued due to the low volumes of traffic using the road. On March 22, 2010, the toll road's operator filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing traffic counts running at less than 40 percent of initial estimates due to the economic downturn. Some drivers chose not to use the toll road due to a recent increase in tolls. An editorial in the "San Diego Union-Tribune" also blamed the delay in opening the toll road and the associated penalties, interest, and legal fees for the company's financial status. According to the bankruptcy filing, the expressway had $510 million of loans outstanding, of which $170 million was owed to the U.S. Department of Transportation. In addition, there was over $600 million of unresolved litigation with the construction contractors. The gross earnings (EBITDA) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009 were approximately $3 million on revenues of $21 million.