This weekend, the Pennsylvania Turnpike brings the future of toll collection worldwide to the Commonwealth with its conversion to Open Road Tolling.

The switch to ORT east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension will become active on Sunday at 12:01 a.m., along with a new statewide toll schedule that moves the PA Turnpike to a consistent per-mile rate and moves away from weight-based classification to axle and height under automated vehicle classification. The annual toll increase will also go in effect.

“The launch of Open Road Tolling is perhaps the most significant change since the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940 as ‘America’s First Superhighway’ and continues our legacy as a national leader in transportation,” said Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary and PA Turnpike Commission Chair Mike Carroll. “The future is now as we bring a safer and more efficient way for motorists to commute, safely transport freight and explore “The Great American Getaway” that is our Commonwealth.”

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.

Equipment on the gantry and in the roadway processes E-ZPass or Toll By Plate transactions.

ORT eliminates the confusion and lane switching associated with traditional, stop-and-go tolling.

Removal of toll booths eliminates obstacles, increases sight lines for customers and ultimately reduces stress and distractions when entering and exiting the system.

ORT allows for the addition of new access points at a significantly lower cost, paving the way for increased economic development and greater access to communities along the PA Turnpike. This helps promote and support tourism and recreation. New access and increased convenience mean freight will move more efficiently and enable the expansion of economic development to more communities.

“For the past 15 years our team has been working tirelessly to make ORT a reality to further meet customers’ expectations for safe, convenient, and seamless travel,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton “We strive to provide ‘best in class’ service to those who choose to travel the PA Turnpike, and ORT reiterates our commitment to meeting customer expectations for safe, seamless and nonstop travel.”

Gantry construction in the western section is currently underway ahead of the January 2027 western launch.

The PA Turnpike is encouraging customers to take the following steps:

• E-ZPass customers should properly mount their transponder at all times.

• Pre-registered Toll by Plate customers or E-ZPass customers should keep their vehicles, license plates and credit card information up-to-date on their accounts;

• Open an E-ZPass account to save 50% on your tolls.

Customers may notice their bill will look different after the launch of ORT, as invoices will show each gantry a customer passes under during their trip. Until ORT fully launches statewide on the mainline Turnpike in January 2027, tolls west of Reading where gantries are not yet operational will still be charged to a customer as an interchange-to-interchange trip like they were before.

The PA Turnpike will begin removing toll plazas in the eastern sections later this year. The PA Turnpike will have invested a little more than $600 million over nearly two decades into the planning, design, civil infrastructure and new tolling system construction and demolition associated with ORT. This investment is expected to save the commission at least $25 million per year in future maintenance and operating costs once the conversion program is complete.

While a 5% toll increase will also take effect that day, as part of scheduled, annual increases to pay off debt from Act 44, the changes with standardization and AVC classification change will result in nearly 50% of passenger car trips seeing a lower toll rate compared to what they paid prior to Jan. 5.

About 84% of E-ZPass and 74% of Toll By Plate trips will see a toll cut or an increase of under $1 in 2025 and about 70% of commercial vehicles will see an increase of $5 or less.