Beltway to feature no-stop tolls
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission recently awarded one of the last contracts for work on the next stage of the Southern Beltway project between Route 22 and Interstate 79.
GAI Consultants was awarded a $6.5 million contract for interchange work on the portion of the 13-mile, $670 million segment that runs through Smith and Cecil townships.
Construction is slated to start in late 2016, with the beltway project expected to be complete by early 2020, according to Pennsylvania Turnpike chief engineer Brad Heigel.
“This will be a four-lane, limited-access highway with five different interchanges. It will look like your typical interstate highway,” Heigel said, explaining the segment is also planned to feature no-stop tolling.
“The PA Turnpike Toll by Plate program will be like E-Z Pass, but you’re paying a bit more, and the camera technology will take a picture of your license plate and you’ll be sent a bill in the mail,” Turnpike spokesman Carl DeFebo said.
He said the first pilot program will be tested in January at the Delaware River Bridge where the turnpike crosses into New Jersey.
“There’s no penalty (like missing a toll), but you are paying more. At that (PA-NJ) junction, an E-Z Pass customer will pay $5, while a Toll by Plate customer will be sent a bill for $6.75,” DeFebo said.
Three-fourths of Pennsylvania Turnpike customers are E-Z Pass holders who save 35 percent on tolls.
“E-Z Pass is still the most efficient way for us to collect tolls. So while the Toll by Plate will certainly be more convenient for all customers, we’re hoping more continue to consider adopting E-Z pass,” DeFebo said.
Heigel said all portions of the Southern Beltway yet to be built are being considered for no-stop tolling technology, saying it helps keep traffic flowing smoothly.
“The high-speed flyover ramps that will be on these interchanges will keep congestion to a minimum, as well. They look like floating bridges, and they allow you to connect from one interstate to the next at highway speed,” DeFebo said.
“And by diverting congestion and offering more access, we’re confident business will grow along this corridor, as well. There are a lot of underdeveloped business parks that we believe will start to expand once they have these access points,” Heigel said.
There are no current public feedback sessions scheduled for any portions of the beltway, but the most southern portion of the tie-in of I-79 to the Mon-Fayette expressway will have the commission seeking public comment. Heigel said that won’t be until after 2017.