April 2026
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PA Turnpike Commission Chair Thanks Crews for Successful Winter Operations
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Chair and PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll thanked the PA Turnpike’s Maintenance team for their hard work and successful efforts over the winter as they fought the elements to keep the highway open to traffic.
PA Turnpike Sees 20% Reduction in Work Zone Crash Rate Over Last Decade
It wasn’t one program but many efforts over the last decade that led to a reduction in work zone crashes on the PA Turnpike. With National Work Zone Awareness Week starting next week, it’s a good time to look back at some of those programs and ahead at the upcoming construction season.
Enforcement Efforts Targeting Largest Toll Evaders
If you have unpaid tolls, now is a good time to get your accounts in order. The PA Turnpike and Pennsylvania State Police are teaming up for a major toll-enforcement operation later this month.
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PA Turnpike Commission Chair and PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll
PA Turnpike Commission Chair Thanks Crews for Successful Winter Operations
Another winter has come and gone, and I couldn’t be more proud of the hard work and tireless efforts of our Maintenance crews here at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and at PennDOT.
From Pittsburgh to Philadelphia and to the upper reaches of the Poconos, no area of the PA Turnpike was untouched by winter this year – and our crews did a marvelous job.
Snow tends to start early in the Laurel Highlands, and from our first snowflakes, Somerset equipment operators were out in full force, road testing the brand-new Super Plow, clearing more than two lanes in a single pass.
Statewide, PA Turnpike crews kept traffic moving and our customers safe through the heavy snowfall and frigid temperatures of Winter Storm Fern. And when I asked our plow drivers to brave an ice storm to escort an infant in critical condition to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, they did not hesitate.
To our Maintenance crews -- thank you for your dedication and for leading the way through another successful winter.
While winter may be over, spring brings another busy season with our crews out in full force.
Construction continues on the Mon/Fayette Expressway, expanding connectivity around the Pittsburgh region. We have multiple major bridge projects underway, paving work will be taking place statewide, and we have several ongoing projects widening the PA Turnpike from four lanes to six, accommodating today’s traffic demands and creating a safer experience.
And our Maintenance Department will be on the road every day, clearing storm drains, removing debris, repairing guiderails, patching up the roadway, helping motorists who have broken down, and keeping the roadway clear and safe.
With all this activity, remember -- when you see orange, slow down. Follow the posted speed limit in work zones. Buckle up and always wear your seatbelts. And please, put your phone down and avoid distractions.
We want our workers – and you – to make it home safely.
PA Turnpike Sees 20% Reduction in Work Zone Crash Rate Over Last Decade
“Our work zone crash rate has decreased by more than 20% since 2015,” Director of Traffic Engineering and Operations Tom Macchione said. “I’m encouraged, but it’s also a reminder that we’re not there yet. I won’t be satisfied until we get our work zone crashes to zero.”
t. Gretna crews replace a guiderail on the PA Turnpike. National Work Zone Awareness Week is a reminder that crews be out in full force this spring and summer, and drivers should use extra caution when they see orange.
With National Work Zone Awareness Week starting April 20, it’s the perfect time to let travelers know they should be prepared to see orange.
“The biggest problem is when people don’t plan ahead,” Macchione said. “They get aggravated, they drive more aggressively, and if there’s a queue in front of them and people are not paying attention, that’s when incidents can occur.”
The PA Turnpike doubled down on its efforts, leading to its reduction in work zone crashes, after the 2014 death of one of its Maintenance employees, Bill McGuigan.
There was not one key program that reduced work zone crashes, but it was the combination of many new initiatives and collaboration between the PA Turnpike departments and its partners at PennDOT, the Pennsylvania State Police, and more.
One of those efforts was the standardization of work zones. Consistent cone placement, construction-lane patterns, and signs are all the same from one end of the state to another, reducing driver confusion.
The PA Turnpike reduced crews’ exposure to traffic by ceasing the practice of placing work zone signs in the left lane, and during spring maintenance, conducting some of that work during one overnight road closure in some areas.
The Work Zone Speed Safety Cameras have been a success, as well. They led to both a reduction in work zone speeding and a reduction in crashes when cameras are present.
Crews at Burnt Cabins replace a milepost marker. As crews are returning to the highway during the warmer months, drivers should use extra caution.
And the New Driver Work Zone Safety Program is one that Macchione is particularly proud of. In the year and a half since the program launched, nearly 8,000 people have taken it, which Macchione hopes has instilled good habits in new drivers, giving them an understanding of how to safely navigate a work zone. The 35-minute, online course is free and is available in both English and Spanish. You can take it here.
And the PA Turnpike’s Go Orange campaign uses social media, billboards, and advertising to spread the message of safe driving in work zones. Stay tuned for more about Go Orange in an upcoming The Road Ahead.
National Work Zone Awareness Week is a good reminder now, but it’s something Macchione and his team focus on every day.
“Some of these wins are really reducing speeds and making our work zones safer,” Macchione is proud to say. “Each day, seeing our workers going home to their families makes me feel good.”
Enforcement Efforts Targeting Largest Toll Evaders
If you have unpaid PA Turnpike tolls, now is a good time to settle your account.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike and the Pennsylvania State Police are working together to nab habitual toll offenders who have suspended vehicle registrations as part of a strategic enforcement effort this month.
Manager of Customer Service and Toll Enforcement Paul Dangleman said when a driver owes more than $250 in unpaid tolls, the PA Turnpike can ask PennDOT to suspend their vehicle registrations, making it illegal to drive that vehicle, and the state police are committed to ensuring all drivers follow the law.
Revenue Collection:
- The PA Turnpike’s recent initiatives to modernize its operations with Open Road Tolling continues to demonstrate effective toll collection, keeping toll revenue on track.
- The PA Turnpike continues to collect on the overwhelming majority of its transactions, with a success rate aligning with nationwide industry standards.
- Over the last five years, the PA Turnpike has strengthened its enforcement efforts and strategy, resulting in increased payments.
- Toll-enforcement efforts are working. Revenue collected in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026 was more than double what was collected for the same period the previous year. As of January, the Commission has collected $10.1 million for the current financial year, compared to $5.4 million in the previous year.
- As of January, the PA Turnpike has collected more than $60 million in unpaid tolls and fees for violators who were in Toll Enforcement.
“Through our partnership with the Pennsylvania Turnpike, we are taking decisive action against aggressive driving and vehicles operating with suspended registrations due to unpaid tolls,” Pennsylvania State Police Troop T spokesman Cpl. Richard Levan said. “By holding drivers accountable, deterring unsafe behavior, and enforcing the rules of the road, we protect every motorist who travels these highways.”
While the PA Turnpike collects the vast majority of its tolls and is well within industry standards, Dangleman and his team continue to find ways to reduce leakage from unpaid tolls and ensure all drivers pay their fair share.
Dangleman is eager to see how successful this enforcement effort is and hopes to conduct more events like it in the near future.
“We’re working together as a team to go after something important to us and make sure everyone pays their fair share,” Dangleman said about working with the state police and through a collaboration with multiple departments at the PA Turnpike. “We’ll have another tool in our toolbox and will show people they cannot run from past-due tolls.”
If you have unpaid tolls, you can always call 877-736-6727 to learn more about payment options. Some customers may be eligible for a payment plan.
Find out more about our “You Know You Owe” campaign here.
New Solar Microgrid to Go Online Soon
April is Earth Month, a time to celebrate all of the initiatives the PA Turnpike is undertaking to become America’s First Sustainable Superhighway by 2040. The latest effort is the solar microgrid at the Western Regional Office, which is expected to be completed in the coming months and will be the second at the PA Turnpike. Learn more in this video.
