Turnpike tolls increase Jan. 1; discounted E-ZPass remains available

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Beginning next week message boards on the West Virginia Turnpike will let motorists know that tolls will increase on the 88-mile highway beginning Jan. 1.

WVPA Executive Director Jeff Miller

It’s a planned 5% increase approved by the West Virginia Parkways Authority in 2018. The increase will take cash tolls for passenger vehicles from $4.00 to $4.25 per toll plaza. The rates will also go up 5% for commercial traffic. Approximately 75% of Turnpike traffic is made up of drivers from outside of West Virginia.

Parkways Authority Executive Director Jeff Miller said legislation approved by state lawmakers in 2018 opened the door for gradual increases of toll rates. Miller said the Parkways Authority agreed to do so after the legislation was approved.

“By doing this every three years we are essentially avoiding a significant increase in 10, 12, 15 years,” Miller told MetroNews this week.

The cash tolls went from $2 to $4 for passenger vehicles in January 2019. The additional money is being used to pay for bonds that will finance $595 million in road construction projects in 10 southern West Virginia counties.

Miller said the new toll increase is a modest attempt to keep up with cost of maintenance and construction on the Turnpike along with inflation.

“We must maintain the Turnpike because it’s a bonded road and we have to keep it in good shape,” Miller said.

Miller said the best antidote is to take advantage of the Parkways Authority single fee discount program that provides unlimited use of the highway for $25 a year. The fee will increase to $26.25 annually on Jan. 1.

Three years ago thousands of state residents flocked to Parkway Authority headquarters in Charleston or went online to sign-up for the one-time early enrollment program for the West Virginia E-ZPass. Approximately 180,000 motorists took advantage of the $24 rate that covered three years of tolls. Miller said that program expires on Jan. 1. He said those registered will be rolled over to the regular WV E-ZPass and the $26.25 annual cost.

Miller said most of those accounts should automatically renew.

“For anyone that has an active and valid credit card on file and they have clicked the ‘auto renew’ button when they did their account it will automatically renew you won’t have to do anything,” Miller said. “You won’t have to maintenance your account, you won’t have to contact customer service.”

The Parkways Authority has been contacting those E-ZPass customers whose credit cards are no longer active. Miller said renewal can occur at any time. He said there’s not a drop dead date of Jan. 1 like there was three years ago.

Miller said the new annual rate of $26,25 is still the best toll road deal in the nation.

“The benefits that you receive versus the cost for unlimited use of the Turnpike is unlike any program offered in the entire country and we’ll happy to do that,” Miller said. “We encourage everyone to take advantage of that.”

The new toll rates for most tractor trailers will be $14.25 per toll. Those can also receive a discount through E-ZPass.





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