It has been six years since E-ZPass appeared on the Pennsylvania Turnpike System, and finally 60, 66, and the Southern Beltway from US 22 to PA 60 in the Pittsburgh area will be added. Also, the coin-drop machines will be upgraded to ones similar to those seen at the Jefferson Hills Toll Plaza on PA Turnpike 43 (Mon-Fayette Expressway).
About time! The inclusion into the E-ZPass system is long over due, especially if you have followed along with the timetable I had on the Toll Highways index page. I removed it because I got tired of changing it every other month with a new updated schedule that never panned out. If only it was active on PA Turnpike 43 when I used to drive that expressway. I can't tell you how many times I ended up behind someone in the exact change lane paying their toll in pennies! Not to mention the one night I found a toll collector asleep, leaning out of the booth.
As for the coin-drop machines, I also say about time! The early models are very tempremental and will sometimes not register your payment. Even when 66 opened in 1993, that summer I had a problem with one at the mainline plaza. The worst was once at the California Toll Plaza on 43, where I pulled into a lane and saw a worker standing at the machine. Got the green light and everything seemed OK until I started to go and then WHAM! the gate came crashing down across the lane. Luckily, I hadn't started yet or I would have had a horizontal crease across my hood. All the worker said was "whoops!" Yeah, that'd have been a big whoops the PTC would have been paying to fix.
The only expressway not being included is the aforementioned PA Turnpike 43 (Mon-Fayette Expressway). I can see why the PTC wouldn't add it, since right now it is a disjointed expressway with less traffic than the others.
E-ZPass, Other Enhancements Coming This Year to Greensburg and Beaver Valley Expressways - PTC
Pennsylvania Highways Blog
