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 Steel, 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 Steel.