Pa. Turnpike tolls go up this weekend
Hikes expected to continue through 2053 to pay off loans
Christmas just passed but ’tis the season of giving for folks who travel the Pennsylvania Turnpike often.
And that’s because starting this Sunday — Jan. 7 — at 12:01 a.m. it’s going to cost a little bit more to travel on the turnpike.
How much more?
Well, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission reportedly approved a 5-percent toll increase back in July. That means, per CBS, most E-ZPass holders will see their rate jump from $1.80 to $1.90 while drives who go the toll by plate route will see an increase from $4.40 to $4.70.
The site said that Class-5 tractor-trailer drivers with E-ZPass will see their rate rise from $14.40 to $15.20 while those without the E-ZPass will see their rate rise from $24.90 to $30.90.
While the rates might not seem like a significant increase it can add up to travel on the pike. You can calculate how much a trip from destination to destination will cost by using the Turnpike’s toll calculator, here.
As pointed out in the Beaver County Times, a trip from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia would cost someone $34.70 using E-ZPass and $70.80 using the toll by plate option.
Drivers can expect the toll increases to keep on coming, too.
Legislators passed Act 44 of 2007 which directed the Turnpike Commission to pay $450 million to PennDOT each year. That cost was dropped to $50 million in 2022. However, the Turnpike Commission took out several large loans to pay the costs, and reportedly now has a debt of $14 billion.
That means that tolls are expected to increase through the year 2053 to pay off the loans.