Tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike are rising again in 2026, but the silver lining is that it’s the smallest annual increase set by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission in the past 12 years.
The 4% increase takes effect on Jan. 4 and affects all turnpike users, including passenger and commercial vehicles on the turnpike’s mainline section and its various extensions.
According to the commission, the per-mile rate will increase from .07 to .073 and the segment fee will increase from $1.09 to $1.13 on the mainline turnpike and the Northeast Extension, where tolls are based on distance traveled. On all other extensions, a straight 4% increase will be added to the 2025 rate.
The most common toll on the turnpike for passenger vehicles in 2026 will increase from $1.86 to $1.94 for E-ZPass customers and from $3.72 to $3.88 for Toll By Plate customers. The most common toll for tractor trailers will increase from $23.16 to $24.12 for E-ZPass users and from $46.32 to $48.24 for Toll By Plate users, the commission said.
E-ZPass is used for 85% of trips on the turnpike, while Toll By Plate accounts for just 15% of turnpike trips, the commission said.
In addition, E-ZPass users and motorists who download the PA TOLL PAY app to create an autopay account end up paying less than those who strictly use the Toll By Plate option.
Motorists can also use the online Toll Calculator to figure out the toll cost in advance for a trip on the turnpike, based on their entry and exit location, the vehicle and the payment method used.
Why another rate increase?
The rate increase is needed to continue paying on more than $8 billion in debt the turnpike commission has taken on due to its funding obligation to the commonwealth under Act 44, the commission said in its release.
“In lieu of raising taxes for transportation, Act 44 of 2007, which was amended by Act 89 in 2013, obligated the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (Commission) to assist in funding statewide ground transportation beyond PA Turnpike operations. Since 2008, the Commission has provided more than $8 billion to the commonwealth for this purpose,” the Dec. 30 release said.
The commission’s original obligation of $450 million per year to the commonwealth was reduced in 2022 to $50 million per year, but the commission must still repay the debt it incurred over those 15 years to make the required payments, according to the commission’s Act 44 Plan.
The Act 44 financial plan continues the trend of smaller toll increases into the future, with a 3.5% increase planned for 2027 and a 3% increase for 2028.
Even with the annual rate increases, the commission says that E-ZPass toll rates for the Pennsylvania Turnpike rank 20th among U.S states overall and are below the national average, while commercial toll rates are ranked 16th nationally.
Turnpike improvements in 2025
The turnpike commission also pursued a variety of construction and improvement projects in 2025, making critical updates to the 565-mile roadway that will continue into 2026.
Construction crews completed $737 million in road and maintenance projects in 2025, including 174 miles of roadway reconstructed and 24 miles resurfaced, according to the commission.
In addition, work was conducted on the western and central sections of the turnpike to install equipment and update those sections for the switch to Open Road Tolling, which will go into effect along the entire turnpike system in January 2027.
Open Road Tolling (ORT), which began in January 2025 east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension, uses up-to-date computer technology to process tolls as vehicles travel along the turnpike instead of the traditional toll booth system.
“The PA Turnpike has been a leader in the ground-transportation industry for 85 years, and ORT is one of the most significant innovations in our history,” said Mark Compton, CEO for the turnpike, in a Dec. 26 statement from the commission.
“Our team strives to operate a ‘best in class’ roadway that embraces current technology and prepares for future innovation. We are grateful and proud that customers continue to choose the PA Turnpike as a safe, convenient and reliable way to move about Pennsylvania.”
