Pittsburgh’s NFL Draft is just weeks away, and that means it’s almost time for travelers to come into the Steel City — many via the turnpike.
Anyone with E-ZPass can save up to 50% on tolls traveling the Pennsylvania Turnpike and 33% on tolls on the Ohio Turnpike, according to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
The NFL Draft is set to take place from April 23-25 and will draw in between 500,000 and 700,000 visitors nationwide, according to Visit Pittsburgh.
E-ZPass will be the most cost-effective way to travel on both the Pennsylvania and Ohio toll roads when driving in for the NFL Draft, the commission said. The blended passenger car rate in Pennsylvania is 17 cents per mile, which the commission said is lower than the national toll average.
Travelers with E-ZPass in one of the 18 other participating states, their transponder will still work in Pennsylvania and Ohio on the way to the draft.
“To support this milestone event,” the commission said it will offer “Road to the Draft” customer service experiences at five of its 17 service plazas, which will include a selfie station, children’s activities area and a 3-D vinyl art activity.
The service plazas included will be Oakmont Plum, New Stanton, North Midway, North Somerset, and Sideling Hill.
The commission said travelers will be encouraged to tag the Pennsylvania Turnpike on Facebook and Instagram accounts during the customer service experiences. Partnership between the turnpike and local social media influencers will also “build excitement,” the commission said.
“More than 85% of our customers already enjoy E-ZPass’ increased ease of travel, which is why we converted to a cashless system in 2020,” said Mark Compton, CEO of the PA Turnpike. “The Pennsylvania Turnpike is eager to welcome visitors from around the country and the commonwealth as we prepare to host several high-profile events in 2026.”
There are numerous ways to get an E-ZPass from the Pennsylvania Turnpike for those who don’t already have one:
- E-ZPass Go Paks available at participating retail locations in Pennsylvania
- Open an E-ZPass account using the PA Toll Pay app
- Open an account online, by phone or by mail
- In person by stopping at the PA Turnpike E-ZPass Customer Service center in Harrisburg
