OHIO — Travelers using the Ohio Turnpike may notice some changes after its new tolling system went into effect Wednesday morning. 

What You Need To Know

  • For all 241-miles of the turnpike — designated as I-76, I-90 and I-80 — there are now a combination of open road tolls for E-ZPass drivers as well as a gated exit system for those who have to pay with cash or card

  • The project has been five years in the making

  • Nine plazas will no longer require tolls

For all 241-miles of the turnpike — designated as I-76, I-90 and I-80 — there are now a combination of open road tolls for E-ZPass drivers as well as a gated exit system for those who have to pay with cash or card. 

 “The modernization of the toll collection system has been a long, challenging, and complex project. But the moment we have anticipated – following meticulous testing of the electronic tolling system over the past several months – has arrived," said Ohio Turnpike Executive Director Ferzan Ahmed in a press release. 

Ahmed said the changes have been five years in the making. However, some travelers have been experiencing the changes since early 2023. That's when the first phase of the project started, which permanently opened the entry gates in all E-ZPass toll booth lanes. That was implemented at 20 interchanges from Toll Plaza 52 (Toledo Airport-Swanton) in Lucas County to Toll Plaza 209 (Warren) in Trumbull County. The exit gates in all dedicated E-ZPass lanes were opened.

At those interchanges, 127 lanes were upgraded with new electronic tolling components, including sensors and other equipment to read E-ZPass transponders. They were also updated to classify vehicles by the number of axles and height of the vehicle. 

Additionally, automated toll machines allowing drivers to pay with cash or a card were installed at all 20 toll plaza interchanges and the four mainline toll plazas. 

With the new changes, nine plazas no longer charge tolls:

  • Toll Plaza 13 (Bryan-Montpelier) in Williams County
  • Toll Plaza 25 (Archbold-Fayette) in Fulton County
  • Toll Plaza 34 (Wauseon) in Fulton County
  • Toll Plaza 39 (Delta-Lyons) in Fulton County
  • Toll Plaza 215 (Lordstown-West) Trumbull County
  • Toll Plaza 216 (Lordstown-East) in Trumbull County
  • Toll Plaza 218 (Niles-Youngstown) in Mahoning County
  • Toll Plaza 232 (Youngstown) in Mahoning County
  • Toll Plaza 234 (Youngstown-Poland) in Mahoning County

Other implementations include:

  • The closing of the old Westgate Toll Plaza at milepost 2 in Williams County. There is now a new Westgate Toll Plaza at milepost 4 in Williams County (near the Ohio/Indiana border).
  • All customers traveling eastbound on the Ohio Turnpike will not be charged a toll at Eastgate Toll Plaza.
  • Two new plazas, Swanton Toll Plaza (milepost 49) in Lucas County and Newton Falls Toll Plaza (milepost 211) in Trumbull County, have opened as part of the new system.
  • A decrease in the number of toll systems from 31 to 24.

The combined E-ZPass used by Ohio Turnpike's passenger vehicle and commercial truck customers was 74.1% in 2023, which is a 0.7% increase since 2022. The Ohio Turnpike said the overhaul of the toll collection system is the largest construction project in Ohio Turnpike history since October 1955, when it was completed.

For more details on the changes, click here.