Pennsylvania Turnpike Begins Installing Tolling Equipment on Newly Constructed Gantries for 2027 Launch
Pennsylvania Turnpike Begins Installing Tolling Equipment on Newly Constructed Gantries for 2027 Launch
Middletown, Pa. — Travelers driving west of Reading on the Pennsylvania Turnpike (PA Turnpike) will soon see tolling equipment on the newly constructed gantries in preparation for the launch of Open Road Tolling (ORT) systemwide. The installation of the tolling equipment at Milepost 276.2 is complete and Milepost 250.3 is underway. Over the next year, work will continue moving west to the Ohio border until it is installed on all gantries. However, tolling equipment will not be active until ORT launches on the central and western stretch of the PA Turnpike in 2027.
"We are excited to continue our preparations for 2027’s systemwide launch of Open Road Tolling,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “As we continue to evolve and modernize our operations to match customer preference, we look forward to bringing the future of toll collection across our entire system, ensuring a safer and more efficient experience.”
The switch to ORT east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension began in January 2025. In an ORT system, tolls are charged electronically as customers drive at highway speeds without slowing down or stopping beneath overhead structures — called gantries — located between interchanges.
The tolling equipment on the gantry is not used as a speed enforcement tool. Traffic law and speed enforcement remain under Pennsylvania State Police jurisdiction. Instead, equipment on the gantry and in the roadway processes E-ZPass or Toll By Plate transactions.
Because transponders are read more often and at highway speeds, properly mounting your E-ZPass and maintaining updated accounts is more important than ever. Although charges can always be disputed, customers who don’t follow the required steps may receive a Toll By Plate invoice, billed at a higher rate.
Where ORT is live, the Pennsylvania Turnpike will begin removing toll booths and reconfiguring interchanges to support safer travel, eliminating the confusion and lane switching associated with traditional, stop-and-go tolling. Toll booth removal eliminates obstacles, increases sight lines for customers and ultimately reduces stress and distractions when entering and exiting the system.
Lanes may be temporary closed during tolling equipment installation at the gantry-site. While these will be well-managed, with appropriate signage and notification, drivers should pay attention, reduce their speed and use caution.
For more information on Open Road Tolling, please visit: 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
Crispin Havener, Assistant Press Secretary: (717) 870-2841, chavener@paturnpike.com