Open-road tolling starts next week on the Pennsylvania Turnpike

The Pennsylvania Turnpike’s open-road tolling system launches Sunday, according to a news release.

The system is in place for the turnpike east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension, the release says. Open-road tolling will start on the rest of the turnpike in 2027, it says.

Starting Sunday, turnpike tolls will be assessed by “gantries,” overhead structures with electronic devices. Equipment in the gantries will receive signals from drivers’ E-ZPass transponders or will read license plates and bill those drivers by mail.

Previously, tolls were assessed at transponders set up at toll booths. The turnpike commission decided in 2020 to go cashless, which led to the elimination of toll collector jobs.

The turnpike recommends travelers use E-ZPass transponders, which save drivers 50% on tolls.

The release says new standardization and vehicle classification changes will result in a toll cut or an increase of under $1 in 2025 for most drivers.

Construction is underway to increase the Northeast Extension from four lanes to six lanes for a six-mile stretch south of the Quakertown exit. That work should wrap up in 2025, according to the news release.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.