Turnpike upgrade project continues

Motorists on the Ohio Turnpike are urged to follow the 10-MPH speed limit in toll lanes, Ferzan Ahmed, executive director of the turnpike and infrastructure commission, said as a modernization project of the toll road continues.
“We are currently undertaking the largest construction in the history of the Ohio Turnpike since the years leading up to its completion in 1955,” he said. “The modernization of the turnpike will enable E-Z Pass open road tolling and gateless low-speed conventional lanes to enhance the driving experience for our passenger car and commercial truck customers.”
Motorists on the turnpike are beginning to see the new Toll Collection System – including the lane conversions and the removal of gates at toll plaza interchanges and the new construction and renovation of four mainline toll plazas that will permit the E-Z Pass open road tolling system, Ahmed said.
The lane conversions, which include the installation of new electronic tolling equipment, removal of all entrance gates, and removal of gates from only E-Z Pass exit lanes, are underway at four toll plaza interchanges:
-Toll Plaza 52, Toledo Airport-Swanton
-Toll Plaza 71, Stony Ridge, Toledo
-Toll Plaza 151, North Ridgeville-Cleveland
-Toll Plaza 173, Cleveland/State Rte. 21
In all, interchanges from toll plazas 52 to 209 along the turnpike will be converted under the TCS modernization plan, which includes a reduction of toll plazas from 31 to 24.
“All of the entry gates in the converted lanes will be removed for the benefit of our E-Z Pass customers. However, non-E-ZPass customers will have to stop to get a ticket,” Ahmed said. “In addition, we urge all motorists to obey the 10-MPH speed limit in all lanes for the safety of travelers and turnpike employees. This is especially important as we begin to remove the entry gates as part of our new system conversion.”
Message signs on the gantry above the converted entrance lanes will still depict “Tickets/E-ZPass,” and “E-ZPass Only,” or “Tickets Only” so motorists can enter the appropriate lane.
The new toll plaza at milepost 49 in Swanton was the first of four new or reconstructed mainline toll plazas necessary for implementing the new open road tolling.
Construction of Toll Plaza 49 was substantially completed in 2021 and is being used for testing of the new system.
Turnpike officials estimate the cost of the project at $232 million. It is expected to save about $257 million in operating costs over 30 years.