Sunday, February 16, 2025, 10:50PM |  30°
MENU
Advertisement
A sign for the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Breezewood on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024.
1
MORE

Pa. Turnpike to phase out tollbooths statewide by 2027

Benjamin B. Braun/Post-Gazette

Pa. Turnpike to phase out tollbooths statewide by 2027

Beginning Jan. 5, parts of the turnpike east of Reading and along the Northeastern Extension will switch to open road tolling

Big changes are on the way for the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the new year as it starts to replace its outdated tollbooths with unobtrusive overhead structures to reduce congestion, but residents of the western region of the state will have to wait to see the benefits.

Beginning Jan. 5, parts of the turnpike east of Reading and along its Northeastern Extension, which runs through the Delaware Valley, will switch to open road tolling, eliminating toll plazas and tollbooths to allow for free-flowing traffic.

Open road tolling will expand to Western Pa. in January 2027, said Turnpike Assistant Press Secretary Crispin Havener.

Advertisement

The new system is the culmination of the Turnpike’s decade-long plan to modernize its operations and to meet customer expectations, he said.

Montgomery Dam in Potter Township, as seen from Industry across the river.
Jonathan D. Salant
Congress passes water resources bill that could mean millions of federal dollars for Western Pennsylvania

“We have the technology to do it now that we didn’t have when we first built the turnpike,” he said. “We have the opportunity to do so, and this is just what the customers wanted. There’s a benefit for everybody.”

The current toll booths, with their narrow lanes that slow down traffic, are set to be replaced by new structures called gantries that hang over the road and allow customers to maintain their speed, said Mr. Havener.

The gantries will scan cars that already have E-ZPass transponders, and will take high-definition pictures of cars that do not and send them an invoice later. Cars without transponders will be charged at a higher rate, but Mr. Havener said that more than 85% of customers already have transponders.

Advertisement

In addition to the total trip fee, customers will now see the fee broken down by each gantry they drive by, said Mr. Havener. For the next two years, customers’ invoices for long trips could be a combination of both the new and old systems, he said.

“If you were to make a trip, say, from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, your bill will look slightly different,” he said.

Once completed, the switch will save the Turnpike more than $25 million per year in operating costs, according to its website

The physical tollbooths will be removed from Eastern Pa. by the end of 2026, and they will be removed from Western Pa. within two years after open road tolling launches there, said Mr. Havener.

Rep. Chris Deluzio plans to press the next Congress to invest up to $200 billion in passenger and freight rail overhauls across the country over the next five years.
Benjamin Kail
Rep. Chris Deluzio, Sen. Ed Markey pressing next Congress for rail upgrades, safety improvements

To coincide with the new gantries, the Turnpike is transitioning its toll calculation system from a vehicle’s weight to its number of axles and height. Until now, it had been the only turnpike in the country not to make that switch.

The change will affect large trucks more than passenger vehicles, since they had been paying tolls based on the weight of their cargo, which could vary dramatically, said Mr. Havener.

“We’re correcting both of these [issues] in the beginning of the year to bring consistency and predictability to customers,” he said.

As a direct result of open road tolling, the Turnpike is planning to build a new interchange along Route 130 between Pittsburgh and Irwin – a key connection point in Westmoreland County, said Mr. Havener. State representatives and senators have been pushing for the interchange for years, but it was not possible until now because toll booths took up a large amount of space, he said.

The interchange will remain in development for several more years and is projected to be completed in the fall of 2035, he said.

First Published: December 28, 2024, 10:30 a.m.
Updated: December 29, 2024, 3:45 a.m.

RELATED
SHOW COMMENTS (26)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
In this March 1933, file photo, President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his first radio "fireside chat" in Washington.
1
opinion
David M. Shribman: Is Donald Trump another Washington, Roosevelt, Trump?
Citing the substance's risks, the FDA in late 2023 issued a public safety alert warning that consumers "should not purchase or use any Neptune’s Fix products, or any other product with tianeptine."
2
news
‘Gas station heroin’ arises as a new threat
3
news
Medicaid on the chopping block: Proposed cuts threaten coverage of vulnerable Pennsylvanians
Novo Asian Food Hall on Thursday May 23, 2024, Strip District.  (John Colombo/For the Post-Gazette)
4
news
Legal battle stirs the pot at Novo Asian Food Hall
Pittsburgh Pirates' Henry Davis celebrates his double during the sixth inning of an opening-day baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Washington.
5
sports
‘There's no panic’: Pirates remain confident former No. 1 pick Henry Davis can put it all together
A sign for the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Breezewood on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024.  (Benjamin B. Braun/Post-Gazette)
Benjamin B. Braun/Post-Gazette
Advertisement
LATEST news
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story