The Pennsylvania Turnpike’s toll booths are soon to be a thing of the past.
The Turnpike Commission last week approved $50 million in contracts to construct a portion of the overhead gantries needed to complete a transition to open-road tolling.
Allison Park Contractors has been tasked with installing structures to hold systems that electronically charge drivers at interchanges without the need to stop or slow down.
The agency has already finished construction of some gantries in the eastern part of the state. Those are set to go online in 2025. Gantries in Western Pennsylvania will be active by 2027. Toll booths will no longer be in service.
Motorists should expect lane restrictions as concrete barriers are erected and a brief closure when it comes time to lift the gantry overhead.
Turnpike officials expect more than $25 million in annual savings. They’re also taking this opportunity to standardize per-mile rates across the 564-mile network.
Existing Toll By Plate and E-ZPass systems will remain in place.
