Pennsylvania Turnpike tolls to increase Sunday

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Turnpike drivers are in for another hit in the wallet this year, especially if they're taking a trip across the state.

A 6 percent toll increase takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Sunday for cash and E-ZPass motorists along the 550-mile highway.

The price jump is largely attributed to the cost of rebuilding and widening the road system.

As of Saturday, drivers who take the turnpike from Monroeville to Cranberry paid $4.45 cash and $3.07 E-ZPass. On Sunday, the tolls will jump to $4.75 for cash and $3.25 for EZ-Pass.

The most common toll for a passenger vehicle will increase from $1.16 to $1.23 for E-ZPass customers and from $1.80 to $1.95 for cash customers.

The most common toll for tractor-trailers will increase from $9.59 to $10.17 for E-ZPass customers and from $13.60 to $14.45 for cash customers.

Travelers can check and calculate fares by visiting

.

Turnpike officials say revenues will fund a recently approved 10-year spending plan. The commission expects annual increases of anywhere from 3 percent up to 6 percent until 2044.

The turnpike commission said the money will help fund projects to rebuild and widen the turnpike as well as support Pennsylvania's public transportation needs.

“We have a responsibility to continue to invest capital dollars to improve our aging system and make it safer for travelers; we’re also obliged to fund an operating budget that must cover such costs as unpredictable winter maintenance and an annual reimbursement to PA State Police for Troop T operations,” said turnpike chairman Sean Logan said in a news release. “Furthermore, we are required by law to help fund our state’s infrastructure needs and have delivered $5.2 billion in toll-backed funding to PennDOT in nine years. Today, our annual payments of $450 million help PennDOT provide operating support to mass-transit authorities across the state to mitigate fare increases for transit riders.”

The commission said it generated $1 billion in annual toll revenue from more than 198 million vehicles a year during the 2016 fiscal year.

E-ZPass customers can learn where to purchase an E-ZPass GoPak at

.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox Media Group