OPERATION. THE SYSTEM YOU WILL SEE IS SIMILAR TO THIS ONE. IF YOU’VE EVER DRIVEN UNDER THE WARRENDALE INTERCHANGE, YOU KEEP UP YOUR SPEED AND YOUR TOLL CALCULATES AS YOU GO. ESSENTIALLY, WHAT THIS IS DOING IS THIS IS ELIMINATING THE TOLL BOOTH. SO THE TOLL BOOTHS WILL GO AWAY ONCE THE SYSTEM IS LAUNCHED. AND WE HAVE EVERYTHING UP AND OPERATING. BUT ESSENTIALLY NOW YOU’LL BE DRIVING THROUGH THE GANTRIES WHILE YOU’RE DRIVING OVER THE SYSTEM. SO YOU’LL JUST BE AS YOU’RE DRIVING ALONG, YOU’LL GO THROUGH THE GANTRY, IT WILL COLLECT WHERE YOU’RE AT, AND IT’LL PAY AS YOU GO. THIS IS VIDEO OF THE GANTRIES THAT WILL BE AT EVERY TOLL COLLECTION SPOT ALONG THE TURNPIKE. AND THESE COMPUTER RENDERINGS SHOW HOW THEY ARE BEING BUILT. THEY WERE JUST COMPLETED ON THE EASTERN SECTION OF THE TURNPIKE, AND CONSTRUCTION BEGINS IN OUR AREA IN 2025. THE TOLL BOOTHS, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN OPERATIONAL IN YEARS, WILL BE TAKEN OUT ALONG WITH THE DIVIDERS BETWEEN EACH LANE. TURNPIKE OFFICIALS SAY TO KEEP TRAFFIC MOVING UNDER THE GANTRIES, SOMETHING TRAVELERS WE SPOKE WITH SAY THEY’VE DRIVEN THROUGH IN OTHER STATES AND WELCOME HERE. YEAH, YOU JUST KEEP GOING. AND THERE’S NOT AS MUCH BOTTLENECKING AND STUFF LIKE THAT, WHICH IS NICE BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE LANES ARE LIKE MORE RESTRICTIVE. SO YEAH, YOU DON’T HAVE PEOPLE JOSTLING FOR LIKE SPOTS. EASE OF TRANSIT, MEANING NO STOP, NO MONEY, NO CASH, JUST A CRUISE ON THROUGH THE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BE OPERATIONAL IN THE EASTERN SECTION OF THE TURNPIKE EARLY NEXT YEAR, AND THEN HERE IN OUR AREA BY 2027 ALONG THE PENN
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Pennsylvania Turnpike toll booths to be removed, gantries to go in place
The turnpike says the new system will allow traffic to keep moving while the toll is collected
The Pennsylvania Turnpike approved contracts to spend $50 million to place gantries at each toll plaza and remove the toll booths that have not been operational since 2020.When a car passes under a gantry, the toll reader positioned overhead will read the E-ZPass or license plate. Drivers have already seen this at the Warrendale interchange."As you're driving along, you'll go through the gantry, it'll collect where you're at and it'll pay as you go," turnpike spokesperson Crispin Havener said.The new system will allow traffic to keep moving while the toll is collected, Havener said."Essentially what this is doing is this is eliminating the toll booth, so the toll booths will go away once the system is launched and we have everything up and operating," he said.The toll booths will be taken out, along with the dividers between each lane. Pittsburgh's Action News 4 spoke with drivers who say they have seen this in other states and welcome it here."You just keep going, and there's not as much bottlenecking and stuff like that, which is nice, because obviously the lanes are more restrictive, so you don't have people jostling for spots," Beth Hemminger said."Ease of transit — no stop, no money, no cash, just cruise on through," Mike Bonnell said.Construction of the gantries is complete on the eastern section of the turnpike. Construction on the western section will begin in 2025 and is expected to be completed in 2027."I know there's the nostalgia of the old toll booths, but this is an easier access and exit from the turnpike with this new system," Havener said.
PITTSBURGH —
The Pennsylvania Turnpike approved contracts to spend $50 million to place gantries at each toll plaza and remove the toll booths that have not been operational since 2020.
When a car passes under a gantry, the toll reader positioned overhead will read the E-ZPass or license plate. Drivers have already seen this at the Warrendale interchange.
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"As you're driving along, you'll go through the gantry, it'll collect where you're at and it'll pay as you go," turnpike spokesperson Crispin Havener said.
The new system will allow traffic to keep moving while the toll is collected, Havener said.
"Essentially what this is doing is this is eliminating the toll booth, so the toll booths will go away once the system is launched and we have everything up and operating," he said.
The toll booths will be taken out, along with the dividers between each lane. Pittsburgh's Action News 4 spoke with drivers who say they have seen this in other states and welcome it here.
"You just keep going, and there's not as much bottlenecking and stuff like that, which is nice, because obviously the lanes are more restrictive, so you don't have people jostling for spots," Beth Hemminger said.
"Ease of transit — no stop, no money, no cash, just cruise on through," Mike Bonnell said.
Construction of the gantries is complete on the eastern section of the turnpike. Construction on the western section will begin in 2025 and is expected to be completed in 2027.
"I know there's the nostalgia of the old toll booths, but this is an easier access and exit from the turnpike with this new system," Havener said.
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