Truckers navigating the Ohio Turnpike may have observed recent transformations in the state’s toll infrastructure. On April 10, the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission unveiled its revamped toll collection system, aiming for modernization. The upgraded system integrates open-road tolling lanes for E-ZPass users alongside gated exit points for non-E-ZPass travelers, as outlined by the commission.
“The new toll collection system – featuring open-road tolling – will continue to stimulate economic activity and growth across our 241-mile Ohio Turnpike, which is designated as Interstate 80, I-90 and I-76,” said Ferzan Ahmed, executive director of the Turnpike Commission. “The local, regional and national economic benefits of our top-performing facility will be immense for our commuters, travelers as well as the commercial freight industry.”
The Turnpike Commission disclosed the elimination of entry and exit gates at 20 toll plazas statewide.
Additionally, 127 lanes now feature “new electronic tolling components, including sensors and other equipment to read E-ZPass transponders and to classify vehicles by the number of axles and vehicle height.”
This extensive overhaul, initiated in 2019, incurred a nearly $250 million investment solely financed by toll-generated revenue. Remarkably, the ambitious five-year project adhered to its budgetary confines.
Key elements of the updated system encompass video surveillance for license plate imaging, deployment of traffic monitoring apparatus along the toll road, and the establishment of the new Westgate toll plaza at milepost 4. Notably, eastbound travelers at the Eastgate toll plaza will now traverse toll-free. Additionally, two new mainline toll plazas have been erected at mileposts 49 and 211.
To accommodate the reduction in toll plazas from 31 to 24 and the incorporation of new toll gates, a revised toll schedule has been introduced. Despite these alterations, the Turnpike Commission assures that the overall toll rate per mile remains unchanged for the time being. Moreover, the updated toll schedule introduces Class 8 vehicle classification, tailored for long combination vehicles exceeding 90 feet in length.
In conjunction with the implementation of the open-road tolling framework, nine toll plazas along the turnpike will cease toll collection. Cash-paying customers will no longer need to halt for ticket retrieval or toll payment, while E-ZPass transponders will no longer be scanned. Overhead signage on the gantries will now indicate “NO TOLL, KEEP MOVING.”
The converted toll-free gantries encompass Toll Plaza 13 (Bryan-Montpelier) in Williams County, Toll Plaza 25 (Archbold-Fayette) in Fulton County, Toll Plaza 34 (Wauseon) in Fulton County, Toll Plaza 39 (Delta-Lyons) in Fulton County, Toll Plaza 215 (Lordstown-West) in Trumbull County, Toll Plaza 216 (Lordstown-East) in Trumbull County, Toll Plaza 218 (Niles-Youngstown) in Mahoning County, Toll Plaza 232 (Youngstown) in Mahoning County, and Toll Plaza 234 (Youngstown-Poland) in Mahoning County.
The modernization of the toll collection system has been characterized as the most significant construction undertaking in Turnpike history since its inaugural completion in 1955. It is a monumental achievement for the commission.
“The new toll collection system and the technology behind it are a big step forward in safety, efficiency, and convenience for the Ohio Turnpike’s passenger car and commercial truck customers to reach east and west destinations along the northern corridor of Ohio and beyond,” the commission said.
A comprehensive overview of the updated toll schedules is accessible here.
Source: Land Line
