The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission’s new toll collection system is nearing the final phases of completion.
More than 20 construction projects – including four new and reconstructed mainline toll plazas – are required to modernise the toll collection system, which will create open road tolling lanes for E-ZPass customers to travel non-stop across the entire state at 70mph.
The design, which started as a study in 2016, allows E-ZPass customers on the Ohio Turnpike – designated as I-90, I-80, and I-76 across the 241-mile toll road – to travel non-stop at 10mph in designated lanes at all remaining toll plaza interchanges.
“The new toll collection system and the technology behind it are a big step forward in safety, efficiency and convenience for Ohio Turnpike’s passenger car and commercial truck customers to reach east and west destinations along the northern corridor of Ohio and beyond,” said Ferzan Ahmed, executive director, Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission.
FREE: Subscribe to the monthly Road User Charging Conference Newsletter – now!
The toll collection system modernisation plan also includes a reduction in the number of toll plazas from 31 to 24.
In addition to four new mainline toll plazas, the lanes at 20 toll plaza interchanges are being upgraded with new electronic tolling equipment.
The gates from all toll plaza entrance lanes and E-ZPass-only exit lanes will remain in the upright position.
Automatic toll payment machines, which accept cash, coins and credit cards, will be available at all 20 toll plaza interchanges as well as the four mainline toll plazas when the toll collection system is completed.
Toll lane gates will remain in exit lanes to accommodate customers paying their tolls by cash or credit card.
New cameras to capture license plate images are being installed to catch toll violators, as are automatic traffic recorders to count and determine vehicles by class.
Other new toll collection system projects include the installation of weigh-in motion systems, which use pavement sensors to weigh trucks as they are driving at highway speeds and to detect overweight vehicles.
You can learn more about the key trends and challenges affecting senior decision-makers who have responsibility for tolling, intelligent transportation systems and road usage charging in America at the third annual Road User Charging Conference USA in Miami, Florida on 22-23 May 2024. Click here for more information.
