Open-road tolling coming to Pennsylvania Turnpike in 2025
The Pennsylvania Turnpike will begin utilizing open-road tolling in January 2025, a Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission news release said.
As a result, vehicles will be charged toll rates by axle and height instead of the previous weight-based formula. Under that new Pennsylvania Turnpike 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 are commercial customers who primarily travel the turnpike empty.
Listen to Land Line Now’s interview with Marissa Orbanek of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission about how open-road tolling will affect truckers:
The Pennsylvania Turnpike said it approved the toll increase 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,” Pennsylvania Turnpike Chairman and Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Michael Carroll said.
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 construction west of Reading has begun 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.
Non-stop 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.
“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 COO Craig Shuey said.
According to its website, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is the second-largest tolling facility in the U.S.
Open-road tolling in other regions
Several states currently utilize an open-road tolling system, including neighboring Ohio, which enacted its policy in April.
It took some five years and $250 million to convert the 241-mile Ohio Turnpike, making it the largest construction project in turnpike history since its opening in 1955. LL