Cashless tolling is the wave of the future for drivers on the Kansas Turnpike, and Turnpike Authority CEO Steve Hewitt detailed the process, the reasons behind it and upcoming related adjustments on KVOE’s Morning Show this week.
Hewitt says cashless tolling, which will be in place by mid-2024 regardless of whether drivers use KTAGs, follows lengthy study about its potential.
The cashless operation relies on toll zones instead of exits and interchanges. It also relies on over 20 gantries, overhead bridge-like structures that have special equipment to read license plates and then bill drivers for their trips. Hewitt says drivers will have several payment options.
KTAG customers won’t see any difference in their payment procedures when cashless tolling begins. Cash payers will be billed, and cash tolls will be slightly higher than tolls for KTAG customers.
Gantry construction continues, meanwhile, and three area projects associated with cashless tolling — mile marker 131.1 southbound, 146 northbound and 150.6 in both directions — are set to be done by October 2023. Ground work is underway at mile marker 95 just south of the Matfield Green service exit and at mile marker 122, about five miles southwest of the Emporia gate.
The move to cashless tolling will also mean new interchange designs up and down the highway, including the Emporia and Admire-Council Grove exits. Hewitt says conversations are underway towards final designs, although it’s unclear when those new designs will be approved.
The move to cashless also means a change in employment for certain workers. The Turnpike Authority has what Hewitt calls a “workforce transition plan,” which includes customer service positions, image review posts and other slots.
More information about the move to cashless tolling is online at www.ksturnpike.com.
