For 85 years and counting, the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s commitment to high standards drives success in safety, customer service and mobility.

“2025 will go down as perhaps the most consequential year since the PA Turnpike opened in 1940,” said Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission Chair Mike Carroll. “We continue to set the national standard for superhighway design and engineering. Thanks to our 1,400-plus employees, the PA Turnpike’s operations, customer service and community engagement will continue to drive excellence for the next 85 years.”

Open road tolling

The commission launched one of the most transformative projects in its history in January, a culmination of a 15-year long journey to modernize operations.

Open Road Tolling went live east of Reading and along the Northeast Extension. Under ORT, tolls are charged electronically as customers drive at highway speeds beneath overhead gantries, without slowing down or stopping at toll booths.

Equipment on the gantry and in the roadway classifies and identifies the vehicle and electronically processes tolls.

When toll booths are removed, ORT leads to more free-flowing traffic, reduces accidents, improves the environment, and allows new access points.

“The PA Turnpike has been a leader in the ground-transportation industry for 85 years, and ORT is one of the most significant innovation in our history,” said turnpike CEO Mark Compton.

The PA Turnpike also elevated Toll By Plate customer convenience this year, expanding the KUBRA cash payment network.

Improvements

Roadway maintenance and improvements totaled $737 million in 2025, including 174 completed Total Reconstruction miles and 24-plus miles of finished roadway resurfacing. Several major projects have advanced, such as the Beaver River Bridge and opening two southern Mon/Fayette Expressway sections to traffic. All turnpike work is a direct investment of toll dollars.

The commission continued to effectively manage its Act 44 of 2007 debt service while keeping operating expenses below actual budgeted expenses for the eighth consecutive year and maintaining passenger rates below the national average for toll roads, bridges and tunnels. It also pursued egregious unpaid toll violators, partnering with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to enforce legal action.

As of December, the commission’s ongoing enforcement efforts collected more than $57 million in unpaid tolls, while significantly increasing past due toll repayment.

The commission, alongside state and local partners, celebrated PennSTART’s construction kick-off. This closed loop state-of-the-art testing facility in Westmoreland County is designed to accelerate national innovation in emerging transportation technology. It will also offer hands-on first responder training, effectively preparing police, fire, medical, and towing personnel for the dangers encountered during an incident — like distracted or aggressive drivers.

Safety

From Jan. 1 through Nov. 30, the PA Turnpike’s Maintenance Utility Workers and the GEICO Safety Patrol team assisted in 42,000 incidents, in addition to their routine patrols. The roadway is also supported by a dedicated maintenance force and Pennsylvania State Police Troop T.

The PA Turnpike launched 47676, a new text messaging service providing real-time communication, location-specific incident information, anticipated clearance times and roadway updates during unexpected traffic backlogs. This industry-first service complements existing assistance offerings such as *11, which connects to the PA Turnpike’s Traffic Operations Center for emergency assistance, and 511PA, the statewide travel information service.

In September, the maintenance fleet added a pair of hook lift-mounted platforms. The first-of-their-kind units for elevated tasks, such as tunnel maintenance and repair, provide level workspaces, minimize reaching or twisting and can be swapped among existing trucks, resulting in significant equipment cost savings and safer work environments.

Recognition

The commission received industrywide recognition across multiple departments. These include:

• Info-Tech Innovator of the Year Award for outstanding achievements in information technology.

• The March of Dimes Transportation, Building, and Construction Award for Innovation for Open Road Tolling.

• The 2025 Grand Conceptor Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania for the work zone speed safety camera program, an honor shared jointly with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

• American Society of Highway Engineers 2025 Outstanding Highway Engineering Award for the Milepost 102-109 Total Reconstruction project.

In addition, several employees were also recognized for their professional excellence.

Innovation

The turnpike takes its role as a good steward seriously, seeking to embody diversity, integrity and sustainability in pursuit of becoming “America’s First Sustainable Superhighway” by 2040.

The turnpike continues to demonstrate fiscal responsibility of customers’ toll dollars.

For the eighth consecutive year, the turnpike has kept operating costs below budgeted expenses, with operating expenses 11% below budgeted in 2025. In 2025, the turnpike refinanced nearly $1.25 billion of existing debt, generating $205 million in interest rate savings.

The turnpike expanded EV charging options at several service plazas, ensuring all 17 service plazas have EV charging by 2027. Solar microgrid construction is also underway at the commission’s Western Regional Office.

When complete, it will power the New Stanton office and attached PSP Troop T barracks.

In partnership with the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Commission completed its 17th and final student-produced art installation for service plazas under the Art Sparks program.

In May, the commission launched “Turnpike TV,” a new video series offering valuable information about infrastructure projects and efforts to improve safety, access and mobility across the commonwealth.

To support increasing call volumes and the more than 300 people providing daily customer service support, the commission activated its first AI-powered virtual assistant, Miles, this fall.