Pennsylvania Turnpike prepares for 2.18M Memorial Day Weekend drivers

PITTSBURGH — The summer travel season starts over the weekend, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is prepared for the influx of drivers.

The commission expects nearly 2.18 million drivers to hit the Pennsylvania Turnpike between May 22 and 25 — a 2% increase from last year.

The busiest travel is projected to be on Friday, with 706,000 vehicles on the road.

To ensure safe and efficient travel, the commission is suspending construction impacting open lanes between May 21 and 25. Work will continue for the ongoing Open Road Tolling conversion project.

Officials also provided several suggestions for safe travel throughout the holiday weekend:

• Practice safe driving habits, including driving responsibly, powering off your devices and removing unnecessary distractions.
• If you see an emergency responder on the road, follow Pennsylvania’s Move Over Law and move over into an adjacent lane if it is safe to do so, or slow down to a speed of not more than 20 mph less than the posted speed limit.  
• Take advantage of the most cost-effective way to travel on the PA Turnpike with E-ZPass. Be sure to properly mount your transponder for a more seamless trip.
• Get ahead of your travel and easily manage your tolls through the PA Toll Pay App.
• Find out exactly how much your toll is going to be ahead of time with the PA Turnpike Toll Calculator.
• Know that help is just a call away, thanks to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Safety Patrol, sponsored by GEICO. Dial *11 via mobile phone to get support or report an incident or other emergency on the PA Turnpike.
• Access your account safely through the PA Toll Pay App or your E-ZPass Account to manage your account activity and avoid interacting with unsolicited texts, calls or emails.

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