PA Turnpike Will Not Accept Cash Over Coronavirus Concerns

PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Turnpike is no longer accepting cash or credit cards in an effort to curb the spread of coronavirus. Beginning Monday evening at 8 p.m., motorists should proceed through the tolls without stopping, officials announced.

All drivers without an E-ZPass account should continue to go through the lanes marked "Ticket" at the entrance and "Cash" at the exit, but they should not stop. They will instead be sent an invoice in the mail.

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“This temporary measure is critical to enable us to support the Commonwealth in its efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton said in a statement. “I want to be clear that we will return to normal toll-collection operations as soon as it becomes practical.”

>>Gov. Orders All Non-Essential Businesses In PA To Close

The move comes as Gov. Wolf ordered all non-essential businesses statewide to close. On Sunday evening, that order had been limited to just five counties.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike has also shut down down all fast food dining and public restrooms in service plazas. Services available at the King of Prussia, Valley Forge, and Peter J. Camiel plazas in southeastern Pennsylvania are limited.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike will use the "Toll by Plate" high-speed cameras to capture license plate images, and the registered owner will be sent an invoice.

Customers will have 20 days to pay their invoice, at which point a secon dinvoice will be issued with a $5 fee or 1.5 percent of the total amount owed, whichever is higher.

Meanwhile, cash tolls will still be in place on the Mon-Fayette Expressway via the automated payment machines.

>>>More PA coronavirus coverage here