The $355.3-million investment will transform the Thruway system for the approximately 267 million motorists that travel the superhighway each year.
“New York State is making historic investments building a modern transportation network worthy of the 21st century and beyond,” Gov. Cuomo said in a statement. “By investing in technology like cashless tolling, we are creating a safer, greener and less congested Thruway system and ensuring our transportation infrastructure is capable of supporting New York’s growing economy.”
Cashless Tolling Constructors submitted the best value proposal, which will be submitted to the New York State Comptroller’s office for approval.
In his 2018 State of the State address, Gov. Cuomo announced cashless tolling will be implemented on the entire NYS Thruway system by the end of 2020.
In the final phase, crews with Cashless Tolling Constructors will convert the Thruway’s ticketed system to cashless tolling. The ticketed system consists of approximately 450 miles of roadway between exits 15 (Woodbury) and exit 61 (Ripley – PA Line) as well as exits B1 – B3 (Berkshire Spur). In 2018, more than 158 million vehicles traveled on the ticketed system, accounting for more than 6.2 billion miles traveled.
Construction is scheduled to begin across the Thruway system in late Summer/early Fall with the installation of gantries and cashless tolling equipment.
When it is operational on the Thruway’s ticketed system, motorists will drive seamlessly under gantries with state-of-the-art sensors and cameras that read E-ZPass tags and take license plate images so vehicles no longer have to stop to pay tolls.
As part of the Design Build project requirements, the switchover to cashless tolling will take place by the end of 2020 at 52 Thruway interchanges and toll barriers.
