Open-road tolling coming to Pennsylvania Turnpike in 2025
The Pennsylvania Turnpike recently announced plans to move to open-road tolling in January 2025.
The plan calls for vehicles to be charged toll rates by axle and height instead of the previous weight-based formula. Under the new toll schedule, approximately 70% of commercial vehicles will see an increase of $5 or less to the base per-mile rate.
Conversely, nearly 50% of passenger cars will pay a lower toll rate per trip than they do now based on the same toll schedule.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike said those most widely impacted by the toll rate change will be commercial customers who primarily travel the turnpike empty. The toll increases were approved due to ongoing debt repayment.
“The advent of open-road tolling will advance safety and allow for the safe movement of vehicle traffic across our network,” said Michael Carroll, Pennsylvania Turnpike chairman and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation secretary.
This conversion will begin east of Reading, Pa., and on the northeast extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Toll plazas will be removed in the eastern sections starting next year. Open-road tolling equipment is under construction west of Reading and is expected to be fully operational in early 2027.
In areas where gantries are not yet operational, tolls will be charged to a customer as an interchange-to-interchange trip based on the new rates that go into effect Jan. 5, 2025.
Nonstop travel will reduce emission and fuel usage while adding green space, according to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which credits its transition to cashless tolling for a 45% reduction in emission in 2020.
The change is expected to reduce accidents, as well.
“We’ve already seen a significant reduction of accidents at locations where we’ve transitioned from traditional toll plazas and look forward to that continuing across our system as we implement open-road tolling,” Pennsylvania Turnpike Chief Operating Officer Craig Shuey said.
According to its website, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is the second-largest tolling facility in the U.S. LL