PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Starting Sunday, Jan. 5, the Pennsylvania Turnpike will officially switch how it collects tolls.
No longer will drivers be charged at toll plazas as they enter and exit the highway. Beginning Sunday east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension, tolls will be calculated by sensors on overhead structures called gantries.
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission spokesperson Marissa Orbanek said crews will start to remove the old tollbooths later this year.
Also on Sunday, a 5% toll increase will take effect. A hike has happened every year since 2009 so the turnpike can pay back money borrowed to fund public transportation.
However, not everyone will pay more. The new open road tolling system standardizes rates, so nearly half of car trips will actually see a lower toll rate this year. For example, a trip from Valley Forge to Fort Washington costs $3.30 now, but it will be $3.09 starting Sunday.
The turnpike went cashless five years ago. Orbanek encourages drivers to get E-ZPass, as the toll-by-plate rate is twice as much.
The entire length of the Pennsylvania Turnpike is expected to have open road tolling by 2027.