The South Bay Expressway, a privately owned highway set to open next year in San Diego, will be a toll road for a decade longer than originally planned, following the signing of a bill Monday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The “Governator” signed SB463 to allow the toll builder – a Macquarie Infrastructure Group subsidiary under the name California Transportation Ventures – to collect tolls for 45 years instead of 35 years as originally planned.

Macquarie, an Australian company, is becoming more familiar in the U.S. because of its 50-percent involvement in the Indiana Toll Road and Chicago Skyway, and principal involvement in the Dulles Greenway in Virginia.

The South Bay Expressway is a 9.3-mile segment of State Route 125, being built as congestion relief for Interstate 5 from State Route 905 to Route 54.

The toll road is projected to cost the private company $635 million when complete.