West Virginia Parkways Authority image.
CHARLESTON, W. Va.–A nearly $25 million toll system upgrade on the West Virginia Turnpike remains on schedule for completion by the end of 2023.
West Virginia Parkways Authority Executive Director Jeff Miller said that the two-month old project is comprehensive and time consuming.
“This is very complex,” Miller said. “There’s factory acceptance on the testing and each lane has to be commissioned. It’s also a complete upgrade to our back office customer service center. We’re transitioning all of that to cloud-based as well.”
Parkways Authority members gave approval in April to a $24.8 million contract with technology company TransCore which plans to take 18 months to make the changes. The current system has been around since 2008.
Miller said that the new tolling system will include toll payment by debit or credit card as an option for testing under the new system.
“It’s an option for us to implement that based on the results of testing,” Miller said. “If we determine that it slows it down too much we reserve the right not to implement that into our system.”
Miller stressed E-ZPass remains the quickest, most efficient way to move through the Turnpike’s three main tollbooths. He said having the credit card payment option will not speed things up.
“E-ZPass is the answer to everyone’s issues,” Miller said.
Miller said 58% of the toll road’s motorists currently use E-ZPass. He said the percentage is growing by a half-percent a month.
“It’s not at the rate at which we would like,” Miller said.
The Turnpike currently has a collection system for those motorists who don’t carry cash. He said they have five days to submit an electronic payment. The toll collector fills out a form including the motorist’s license plate number. A process that takes about 30-seconds. Cash transactions take about 8 seconds and E-ZPass is quicker than that, Miller said.
The current E-ZPass program is $26.25 annually for unlimited use of the Turnpike. Without it, motorists pay $4.25 per toll plaza. Commercial traffic pays more.