New tolling system rolls out on Pennsylvania Turnpike

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. (WPVI) -- It's a new era on the Pennsylvania Turnpike as Open Road Tolling rolled out over the weekend, making traditional toll booths obsolete.

It's a $600 million change on the Turnpike and all drivers have to do is look up to see the difference.

"It's been decades in the making so we're really excited to bring that to our customers, said Turnpike Press Secretary Marissa Orbanek.

The system uses what's called a gantry. Eighteen of them became active Sunday on the Northeast Extension and between Reading and New Jersey.

"It's efficient for us, safer for our customers, better for the environment," said Don Steele, facilities engineering manager.

It's safer, according to turnpike officials, because drivers will no longer stop or slow down to go through a traditional toll booth. Instead, the equipment either takes a picture of the vehicle's license plate or scans the E-ZPass, which is still the less expensive option.

"It's 50% cheaper to have an E-ZPass because it's easier for us to collect your toll rather than doing it through the mail," said Steele.

Billing looks a little different too regardless of how you're paying.

"Instead of being tolled based on where you enter and where you exit, you're going to get an invoice or a statement that's going to show each gantry that you pass under," said Orbanek.

Each time you pass under a gantry, it's $1.09. There's also a 7 cents charge per mile traveled.

Some drivers say they like the idea of the new overhead tolling.

"The toll booths are a traffic problem," said Mike Hinkley from Southampton, who added that he does need to mount his E-ZPass before he rides the Turnpike again.

"I don't have mine up on my window. I got it here. I probably ought to put it up on my window so I don't forget it," he said.

The next phase of this project will be demolishing the toll booths, which is expected to start later this year, and building gantries on the rest of the turnpike west of Reading.