The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, the second largest tolling agency in the United States, launched Open Road Tolling (ORT) on Sunday. The agency invested more than $600 million over nearly 20 years to prepare and implement ORT. The technology is expected to save the agency at least $25 million annually in maintenance and operating costs.
An ORT system charges motorists tolls electronically when they drive at highway speeds under gantries located between interchanges. The system charges via E-ZPass or Toll By Plate. In areas where gantries have been installed, toll booths have been removed.
The switch is occurring in segments. The first segment launched Sunday east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension. Later this year, the agency will begin removing toll plazas in the eastern sections, and gantry construction is underway in the western section. ORT will launch in the western half of the state in January 2027.
“The launch of Open Road Tolling is perhaps the most significant change since the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940 as ‘America’s First Superhighway’ and continues our legacy as a national leader in transportation,” Mike Carroll, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation secretary and PA Turnpike Commission chairman, said.
The agency also introduced a new statewide toll schedule on Sunday.