The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC) is well on the way to converting the entire eastern half of its network to open-road tolling (ORT). However, some major work remains to be completed before the January 2025 implementation date, work that’s the topic of a recent post appearing on PTC’s “Stories from the Turnpike” blog. Now that most tolling gantries have been erected, the focus is on connecting electronic tolling gear to fiberoptic lines that have been laid underground along the roadway shoulder. A small building situated next to each gantry will house IT equipment and generators for the new tolling system. PTC vendors are now splicing cable connections from each building into the main fiberoptic line. When that step is complete, several months of toll system testing will begin. After the January launch, the process of converting the western half of the PTC network to barrier-free collection will start.
PTC provides information on the ORT conversion process in a short video. In a recent magazine article, chief engineer Brad Heigel, PE, discusses the expected benefits of the new tolling system.