News Of Western Pennsylvania And The World
HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has announced a new way to pay your turnpike tolls.
A new upgrade to the Turnpike’s “Toll By Plate” invoice now includes a QR code customers can scan to pay from their devices.
Source: Changes coming to Pennsylvania Turnpike payment options
A state senator wants to make sure all turnpike tolls are paid before motorists can renew their registrations.
Sen. Marty Flynn, of Lackawanna County, the minority chair of the senate transportation committee, said the move is necessary to help retire turnpike debt and provide for its maintenance.
Source: PA Turnpike’s Unpaid Tolls Could Delay Vehicle Registration Renewals
Crash happened early Thursday morning
IRWIN, Pa. —
A car carrier ended up on its side during a crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County.
The crash happened around 1 a.m. Thursday in the westbound lanes near Irwin.
Crews were lifting each car out of the wreckage individually with a device similar to a crane.
It was initially unclear if there were any injuries.
Source: Car carrier overturns on Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County
Slowdowns should be expected in the westbound lanes near the Butler Valley Interchange.
BUTLER, Pa. —
A tractor-trailer fire led to restrictions in the westbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike on Tuesday morning.
The fire happened near the Butler Valley Interchange.
Source: Tractor-trailer fire leads to restrictions on Pennsylvania Turnpike
A woman was injured in a road rage shooting on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County on Sunday afternoon.
State police said the 38-year-old woman accidentally drifted into another lane of travel which resulted in another motorist being cut-off.
That other driver, identified by police as Andrew Skinner, 30, allegedly accelerated to the left side of the victim’s vehicle while traveling eastbound.
Police said Skinner then brandished a handgun and fired a single shot from his vehicle.
Skinner was later apprehended. State police say he’s expected to face several charges including attempted homicide.
Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 is working to get an update on the victim’s condition.
Source: Woman injured in road rage shooting on PA Turnpike
CARLISLE, Pa. (AP) —
More than $104 million in Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls went uncollected last year as the agency fully converted to all-electronic tolling, with the millions of motorists who don’t use E-ZPass having a nearly 1 in 2 chance of riding without paying under the “toll-by-plate” license plate camera system.
An internal turnpike report issued in July and obtained by The Associated Press through a Right-to-Know Law request showed nearly 11 million out of the total of about 170 million turnpike rides generated no revenue for the agency in the year that ended May 31.
“We take this issue very seriously. It is a big number, there’s no question,” turnpike Chief Executive Mark Compton said. “But we, as an organization, are leaving no stone unturned in the way in which we’re going after that leakage.”
Toll revenue “leakage” – an industry euphemism for uncollected tolls – has become the focus of turnpike agencies across the country as the use of E-ZPass transponders and license plate cameras continues to spread.
It is a particular problem for the debt-strapped Pennsylvania Turnpike, where more than half of its total revenue goes to pay borrowing costs and tolls have more than quadrupled in 12 years for the minority of motorists who don’t have E-Z Pass to pay for rides.
Last year, license plates could not be identified in 1.8 million Pennsylvania Turnpike rides, bills were undeliverable in just over 1 million instances, and motor vehicle agencies failed to provide vehicle owner addresses more than 1.5 million times. An additional 6.7 million transactions were marked as “not paid.”
After tolls and fees go uncollected for about three years, the turnpike writes them off.
Source: Pennsylvania Turnpike: Free rides take big toll on finances
Pittsburgh —
A truck went off the road and caught fire on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Wednesday.
⚠️ EB @PA_Turnpike is now CLOSED at Allegheny Valley Exit 48. Detour: Freeport Rd to PA 910 west to PA 28 south to I-579 south to I-376 east to re-enter the #paturnpike at the Pittsburgh Interchange.⚠️ https://t.co/KcoJ0Yx9fI
— PA Turnpike Alerts (@PATurnpikeAlert) August 25, 2021
The accident happened eastbound between Exit 48 (Allegheny Valley) and Exit 57 (Pittsburgh).
The truck has the name “N2 Solutions” written on it. N2 Solutions is a nitrogen services company.Turnpike officials say the accident is affecting the right lane and drivers should expect delays.
No additional details have been released.
Source: Truck goes off road, catches fire on Pennsylvania Turnpike
NEW STANTON, Pa. —
An 86-mile stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike will be closed in both directions overnight this weekend.
The turnpike said the closure will start at 11 p.m. on Saturday between New Stanton (Exit 75) and Breezewood (Exit 161), and the road will reopen at about 6 a.m. on Sunday.
Turnpike officials said the closure is necessary so workers can install beams for the replacement of the Country Ridge Road bridge, which carries traffic over the toll road in Bedford Township, Bedford County.Below are the detour routes from the turnpike commission.
Westbound traffic:
- Exit at Breezewood
- Follow Route 30 west for 18.7 miles
- Follow Interstate 99 north for 30.1 miles
- Follow Route 22 west for 64.5 miles
- Follow PA Toll Route 66 south for 13.9 miles
- Re-enter turnpike at New Stanton
Eastbound traffic:
- Exit at New Stanton
- Follow Route 66 Business north for 0.2 miles
- Follow PA Toll Route 66 north for 14.2 miles
- Follow Route 22 east for 63.7 miles
- Follow Interstate 99 south for 30.4 miles
- Follow Route 30 east for 18.3 miles
- Re-enter turnpike at Breezewood
Vehicles will be permitted to enter the turnpike at the Somerset (Exit 110) and Donegal (Exit 91) interchanges and travel westbound. Vehicles may also enter at Bedford (Exit 146) and travel eastbound.
Prior to the closure, announcements will be made at the North Midway service plaza in Bedford County and the South Somerset service plaza in Somerset County. Customers who are still in those service plazas after 11 p.m. on Saturday will have to stay there until the road reopens, turnpike officials said.
Source: Part of Pennsylvania Turnpike to close this weekend
MONROEVILLE, Pa. —
Part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in western Pennsylvania will close for five hours this weekend.
The westbound turnpike will be closed between Pittsburgh (Exit 57) and Allegheny Valley (Exit 48), starting at 11:59 p.m. Saturday through 5 a.m. on Sunday, weather permitting.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission said beams will be put in place for the new bridge that carries traffic on Center Road over the turnpike in Monroeville.Drivers are being asked to use the following recommended detour:
WESTBOUND TRAFFIC Exiting at Pittsburgh Interchange:
- I-376 west (16 miles) to
- I-279 north/Ft. Duquesne Bridge (1 mile) to
- PA State Route 28 north (23 miles) to
- PA State Route 910 east (Exit 11, Harmarville) (.2 mile)
- Left onto Freeport Road (.7 mile)
- Reenter I-76 at the Allegheny Valley Interchange.
During the closure, drivers should expect higher traffic volumes on detour roads.
Source: Part of Pennsylvania Turnpike to close in Western Pa. overnight
Part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in western Pennsylvania will close in both directions over the weekend.
MONROEVILLE, Pa. —
Part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike in western Pennsylvania will close in both directions over the weekend.
The turnpike will be closed in both directions between Allegheny Valley, Exit 48, and Pittsburgh, Exit 57, starting at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday through 5 a.m. on Sunday, weather permitting.
Source: Part of PA Turnpike to close in Western Pa. this weekend
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Starting this weekend, you will have to pay more to drive on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
On Sunday, tolls will increase by six percent for those with an E-ZPass. If you do not have one, you will pay an extra 45 percent using the new Toll By Plate system.
The Pa. Turnpike says the increases are necessary to make its annual $450 million payment to PennDOT.
Source: Pennsylvania Turnpike Tolls Going Up This Weekend – CBS Pittsburgh
Crash blocked all westbound lanes early Tuesday morning
DONEGAL, Pa. —
A tractor-trailer overturned on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County on Tuesday morning.
The crash happened Tuesday around 6 a.m., blocking all westbound lanes near milepost 85.5 in the area between Donegal and New Stanton.
It was initially unclear if there were any injuries.Drivers were told to expect delays.
Source: Tractor-trailer overturned on Pa. turnpike in Westmoreland County
Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County was shut down for several hours
NEW STANTON, Pa. —
A child died in a crash involving a pickup truck and a tractor-trailer on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County on Thursday afternoon.
The accident happened in the eastbound lanes between New Stanton (Exit 75) and Donegal (Exit 91) in Mount Pleasant Township.
The coroner has identified the child as 11-year-old Hayden Field of Connellsville Township, Fayette County.The Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office said Hayden was the front-seat passenger of a 2008 Nissan Frontier that was traveling eastbound on I-76.
For an unknown reason, the pickup truck crashed into the back of a Freightliner tractor-trailer and ended up under the back of the trailer. The accident lawyer riverside was called immediately to help with the situation and Hayden was trapped inside the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner’s office said Hayden was wearing a seat belt.
All eastbound traffic was detoured off the turnpike at New Stanton for several hours.
State police are investigating the crash.
Source: 11-year-old boy killed in Pennsylvania Turnpike crash
