PA Turnpike Open Road Toll Conversion Starts

EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is rolling out its plan to remove toll booths and convert to an open road tolling system.

The Turnpike Commission announced last week plans to convert its tolling system to Open Road Tolling (ORT) east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension in January 2025.

The plans cap a 15-year transition to further meet customers’ expectations for safe, convenient, and seamless travel.

“The advent of Open Road Tolling will advance safety and allow for the safe movement of vehicle traffic across our network. Pennsylvania is the great American Getaway and Open Road Tolling will get traveling members of the public to destinations across our great Commonwealth in a safe an efficient manner,” PA Turnpike Chairman and PennDOT Secretary Michael Carroll said.

In an ORT system, tolls are charged electronically as customers drive at highway speeds without slowing down or stopping beneath overhead structures — called gantries — located between interchanges. Equipment on the gantry and in the roadway processes E-ZPass or Toll-By-Plate transactions.

Beyond properly mounting an E-ZPass transponder, customers will not need to do anything differently in preparation for the launch.

“In January, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission solidifies itself once again as a national leader in transportation when we bring the future of toll collection to Pennsylvania through Open Road Tolling,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “This move reiterates our commitment to the safety of our customers and employees while modernizing our operations and meeting customer expectations for seamless, nonstop travel.”

In March 2020, the Turnpike converted from a ticket and electronic hybrid tolling model to All-Electronic Tolling. The ORT conversion ensures “America’s First Superhighway” continues to be the national standard for highway design and engineering.

ORT allows for the addition of new access points at a significantly lower cost paving the way for increased economic development as seen around the Route 29 interchange and the Southern Beltway, the Turnpike’s most recent additions.

It allows for greater access to communities along the Turnpike promoting and supporting tourism and recreation. New access and increased convenience mean freight will move more efficiently and enable the expansion of economic development to more communities.

Construction of a new fiber optic network spanning the entire footprint of the mainline Turnpike, in support of ORT operations, extends the possibility of high-speed connectivity to neighboring communities who remain in need of this service and increases access to underserved communities.

ORT eliminates the confusion and lane switching associated with traditional, stop-and-go tolling. Removal of toll booths removes obstacles and increases sight lines for customers reducing stress and distraction when entering and exiting the system.

Non-stop travel also means lower emissions, less fuel use, and a cleaner environment. The Pennsylvania Turnpike’s transition to cashless tolling in 2020 resulted in a 45 percent systemwide reduction in CO2 emissions or approximately 65 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

Open Road Tolling is anticipated to further reduce CO2 emissions by another 7 percent by 2030, or about 11 tons of CO2 emissions per year. The removal of current toll booths and additional infrastructure at interchanges will see the return of green space along the system.

The Turnpike will begin removing toll plazas in the eastern sections in 2025. ORT construction west of Reading is getting underway, and ORT will be fully operational there in early 2027.

Earlier this month, PA Turnpike commissioners approved a 5 percent toll increase due to ongoing debt repayment, by our Act 44 financial plan. In preparation for Open Road Tolling, the January 2025 toll schedule moves the Turnpike to a consistent per-mile rate.

It also changes how vehicles are classified from weight-based to Axle and Height under Automated Vehicle Classification (AVC), which follows national standards for vehicle classification. Both changes increase predictability and consistency for our customers.

The new toll schedule goes into effect Jan. 5.