If you’ve recently driven down I-95 or the Pennsylvania Turnpike, you may have noticed something missing: tollbooths.
As of this year, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has begun removing old booths and replacing them with “open road tolling.” The new system lets drivers pay without slowing down.
This change marks a big shift for Pennsylvania drivers. It revolutionizes how we pay on one of the busiest and most expensive highways in America. Before the 2000s, drivers pulled into tollbooths and grabbed a ticket or handed an attendant cash before going on their way. The introduction of E-ZPass in 2000 made traffic move more quickly, but booths and barriers still forced cars to slow down.
Open Road Tolling is different: overhead structures called gantries stretch across the width of the road like bridges. They read your E-ZPass or scan a picture of your license and send you a bill in the mail. This means there is no slowing down and no tickets. Currently, gantries only affect tollbooths east of Reading; the eventual goal is to remove every booth on the turnpike.
Drivers travelling south toward Delaware or north toward New Jersey will see the changes first. There will be a substantial impact on daily commuters, including parents, teachers, and even students who drive to school. Travel time will be significantly lower.
Safety will improve: toll booths were often hotspots for accidents, and now, with no need to slow down, accident rates will likely see a decrease.
Not everyone likes the change, though. Some drivers using E-ZPass receive unexpected tolls in the mail because the toll price at each booth is different depending on where you are. Furthermore, the deconstruction process of the tollbooths will undoubtedly cause traffic congestion in the months ahead.
By 2028, the PA Turnpike Commission hopes to make both I-95 and the turnpike cashless. For now, student drivers and parents should make sure they have their E-ZPass ready, keeping a keen eye on toll statements.
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