PA Turnpike Unveils New Renderings of Future Interchanges under Open Road Tolling
PA Turnpike Unveils New Renderings of Future Interchanges under Open Road Tolling
Interchanges are being reconstructed to improve safety and provide unobstructed traffic flow for customers
Middletown, Pa. — As the Pennsylvania Turnpike (PA Turnpike) continues toll plaza demolition on the eastern half of its system following the launch of Open Road Tolling (ORT), the future designs for those interchanges are now viewable from its website. With the removal of physical barriers and obstacles within the roadway, the renderings include improved sight lines and a much smaller environmental footprint.
The PA Turnpike is currently demolishing legacy toll plazas where ORT is in place, east of the Reading Interchange and on the entire Northeast Extension. Once the toll plazas are removed, each interchange will be reconstructed to provide an unobstructed traffic flow for customers. The reconstruction of interchanges is the driving force behind the safety benefits of Open Road Tolling and is scheduled to be completed in the east by the end of 2026.
“Coming off our 85th anniversary, we are excited to unveil perhaps the most visible change to the look of the PA Turnpike in our history,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “We look forward to providing customers with a safer and more convenient travel experience as they get on and off the PA Turnpike.”
While the design and complexity of each interchange reconstruction is unique to its location, the number of lanes will be reduced to create a more streamlined and efficient traffic flow through the interchange and the new traffic patterns will prioritize roadway safety and ease congestion on the main system.
As part of the reconstruction, there will be new signage at each interchange that provides clear guidance to motorists, safely directing them traffic through the new driving patterns. Since motorists will not be passing through a traditional toll plaza, which has been historically associated with the PA Turnpike, additional signage will be placed at entry roads to provide more notice of a toll road entrance.
During the demolition and reconstruction, there will be new traffic patterns to minimize impact and support the safety and efficiency of both the construction process and workers and the traffic flow. While these will be well-managed, here is advice for drivers that prioritizes the safety of motorists and our workers who are inches away from live traffic:
- Pay attention and reduce speed – you will be in a construction zone.
- Follow traffic signage.
- Use caution during this process.
- Be courteous, patient and share the road with other motorists.
- Be alert and flexible for new signage and speed limits.
“We know drivers are excited to have easier access to and from the PA Turnpike,” said PA Turnpike Chief Engineer Brad Heigel. “We know construction can impact the driving experience, but it signals a better driving experience ahead. While we work to bring safer roadways for travelers, motorists need to be patient and increase focus and attention to the signage supporting the sites.
Under ORT, customers are beginning to enjoy the ease of the new cashless, free-flowing mode of collecting tolls electronically at highway speeds without slowing down or stopping beneath overhead structures — called gantries — located between interchanges. ORT will also allow the PA Turnpike to build more access points more easily and at a lower cost, enhancing mobility and reducing traffic at interchanges and on connecting roads.
Toll booth removal is also contributing to the PA Turnpike’s goal of becoming “America’s First Sustainable Superhighway” by 2040, by reducing the PA Turnpike’s footprint by 150 acres and reducing emissions by 7% systemwide from the free flow of traffic through the interchange. Additionally, toll plaza removal will lead to $25 million in yearly savings in interchange maintenance and operations costs and $50 million in yearly operational savings vs. traditional collection methods.
On the central and western half of the PA Turnpike’s main system, ORT gantry construction is currently underway, with ORT scheduled to go live from Reading to the Ohio line in 2027. A similar toll plaza demolition and interchange redesign will take place on western interchanges after that point, with the goal of completing the process by the end of 2028.
The renderings for new interchanges under Open Road Tolling can be found here: Open Road Tolling | PA Turnpike
A national transportation leader, the Pennsylvania Turnpike (PA Turnpike) is the second largest tolling facility in the United States with the most miles. The PA Turnpike proudly supports safety and convenience for its more than 550,000 daily customers through 24-7 roadside assistance, round-the-clock food and fuel at 17 service plazas and a dedicated maintenance force and State Police Troop. The PA Turnpike’s approximately 1,400-person local workforce is unified in its mission; to operate a safe, reliable, customer-valued toll road system that supports national mobility and commerce. For more information about the PA Turnpike’s mission, vision and values, please visit Home | PA Turnpike.
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Media Contacts:
Marissa Orbanek, Press Secretary: (267) 408-5151, morbanek@paturnpike.com