Pa. Turnpike Announces Lower Tolls for Street Road E-ZPass Interchange in Bucks County

HARRISBURG, PA (04/21/2011)(readMedia)-- New, lower toll rates for E-ZPass customers using the Street Road Interchange (Exit #352) in Bensalem Township, Bucks County, will take effect just after midnight on Sunday, April 24. As a result, most non-commercial customers will save 55 cents to 88 cents each time they exit at Street Road - an All-Electronic Interchange (AEI) that opened Nov. 22, 2010. Those who get on the Turnpike at Street Road will pay 12 cents less when they exit at one of the two toll plazas to the east.

The new "E-ZPass Only" Interchange, just over a half mile east of Bensalem Exit #351 (formerly the Philadelphia Interchange), accommodates eastbound on and eastbound off Turnpike traffic, providing direct access to and from Street Road between the Parx Casino and U.S. Route 1. Almost 1,800 vehicles a day exit at Street Road, 97 percent of them passenger vehicles. The $11 million interchange is helping to ease congestion at Bensalem, the Turnpike's second-busiest toll plaza used by 65,000 vehicles a day.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission approved a revised fare schedule for Street Road after some customers questioned the equity of toll rates. Since it opened five months ago, the toll to exit at Street Road has mirrored the toll to exit at #358 Delaware Valley. For those entering at Street Road, the toll to exit at the two plazas to the east - #358 Delaware Valley and #359 Delaware River Bridge - has mirrored the toll from the Bensalem Interchange.

About 85 percent of traffic exiting at Street Road enters the Turnpike at one of five places: Valley Forge, Norristown, Mid-County, Fort Washington, or Willow Grove. Here are the most-common current and new E-ZPass rates to exit via Street Road along with the savings motorists can expect next week:

Passenger-Vehicle Toll to Exit via Street Road

The passenger-vehicle toll for those who enter at Street Road will be as follows: The toll to exit at Delaware Valley drops from $1.33 to $1.21, and the toll to exit via the Delaware River Bridge drops from $2 to $1.88. In the rare occasion that someone gets on at Bensalem and gets off at Street Road, the charge will be the Turnpike's minimum E-ZPass rate of $1. For a complete fare schedule, visit the Turnpike's web site, www.paturnpike.com, and click "Toll Info."

The Turnpike currently operates two AEIs in the state. The first, Virginia Drive (#340) opened in December 2000. In addition, construction is under way on the Route 29 AEI in Chester County, with completion expected late next year. A fourth AEI is being built linking the Northeastern Extension (I-476) with Route 903 in Carbon County scheduled to open in the first half of 2014.

Most customers enroll in E-ZPass online at www.paturnpike.com or by calling 1-877-Penn-Pass (1-877-736-6727). Some grocery retailers also offer E-ZPass sign-ups at the customer-service desks, including Acme Markets. Most of the state's AAA offices offer E-ZPass tag sales, and E-ZPass vending machines called Tag Tellers are located inside select Turnpike travel plazas.