Is the IL-IN-OH-PA-NJ toll corridor a single toll road or not?

[hotdogPi]

The corridor I'm referring to: Chicago Skyway (I-90), Indiana Toll Road (I-90 and part of I-80), Ohio Turnpike (I-80, then I-76), Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76), Pennsylvania Turnpike Extension (I-276).

I think it's a single toll road because it doesn't involve changing freeways* (even though it changes numbers, see I-76/80 in Ohio). It smoothly transitions from one state into another.

Also, from one end at the New Jersey Turnpike to the other end in Chicago, the fastest route is to take this corridor.

*Yes, it's a freeway, even though it's tolled.

[jeffandnicole]

No, they are all separate toll roads, operated by separate agencies. 

It wouldn't be any different if we said Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey was one toll road either.

[SteveG1988]

The corridor I'm referring to: Chicago Skyway (I-90), Indiana Toll Road (I-90 and part of I-80), Ohio Turnpike (I-80, then I-76), Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76), Pennsylvania Turnpike Extension (I-276).

I think it's a single toll road because it doesn't involve changing freeways* (even though it changes numbers, see I-76/80 in Ohio). It smoothly transitions from one state into another.

Also, from one end at the New Jersey Turnpike to the other end in Chicago, the fastest route is to take this corridor.

*Yes, it's a freeway, even though it's tolled.

I would consider that it is one toll "system" via ezpass. It is like one store accepting another store's gift cards/credit card. The only two that really have to work together is the NJ and PA turnpike due to sharing a bridge.

[SSOWorld]

Keep in mind that until late 2009 the Ohio Tpk did not accept E-Z Pass - the last in the series to to join the agency.  It was long after the other authorities joined E-Z Pass.

[vtk]

It's "one road" to about the same extent as I-55 is "one road" from Louisiana to Chicago. Except it doesn't have an official unifying name or designation.

[iBallasticwolf2]

Is the road continuously tolled from the NJ Turnpike to the end of the Chicago Skyway? I don't think so because isn't there a free section of the Penna Pike near the OH border? Otherwise I'm pretty sure it is continuously tolled.

[roadman65]

No separate for sure, but the idea of all of them linking was to provide a freeway connection between New York and Chicago before the interstates (primarily I-80) were created.

BTW I-80 is faster than heading down near Trenton, NJ and then heading west.  Also cheaper too now that PTC is charging so much to cross the Keystone State.  I traveled I-80 myself across PA and its not that bad of road to use either, but definitely shorter and more direct.

[Rothman]

Keep in mind that until late 2009 the Ohio Tpk did not accept E-Z Pass - the last in the series to to join the agency.  It was long after the other authorities joined E-Z Pass.

And it was a glorious day when it did.

[Joe The Dragon]

Is the road continuously tolled from the NJ Turnpike to the end of the Chicago Skyway? I don't think so because isn't there a free section of the Penna Pike near the OH border? Otherwise I'm pretty sure it is continuously tolled.

Kind of a free system if you stay of the main line you can thing of it being fully tolled it used to be full ticket there. But you can ride for free from ramp to ramp but one exit links to an other toll road + some local links.

[cl94]

Is the road continuously tolled from the NJ Turnpike to the end of the Chicago Skyway? I don't think so because isn't there a free section of the Penna Pike near the OH border? Otherwise I'm pretty sure it is continuously tolled.

The stretch between I-79/US 19 and I-376/PA 351 (all of 2 exits) is free. At the western end, it's only free if you're going to/from PA 351. Unless you're going to the race track, you're going to pay a toll anyway.

[westerninterloper]

A quick read on Wikipedia about the Indiana, Ohio and Penna toll roads suggests that the idea of a limited access road started in PA in the mid 1930s, and with WPA money, a few sections were completed before the start of WWII. The PA and Ohio Turnpikes, and the Indiana East-West Toll Road were completed before the Interstate Highway system was created, so the distinct roads were allowed to maintain their tolls, and I understand it.

[rickmastfan67]

Is the road continuously tolled from the NJ Turnpike to the end of the Chicago Skyway? I don't think so because isn't there a free section of the Penna Pike near the OH border? Otherwise I'm pretty sure it is continuously tolled.

The stretch between I-79/US 19 and I-376/PA 351 (all of 2 exits) is free. At the western end, it's only free if you're going to/from PA 351. Unless you're going to the race track, you're going to pay a toll anyway.

3 exits.  Don't forget the one for PA-18 (Exit #13).

[cl94]

Is the road continuously tolled from the NJ Turnpike to the end of the Chicago Skyway? I don't think so because isn't there a free section of the Penna Pike near the OH border? Otherwise I'm pretty sure it is continuously tolled.

The stretch between I-79/US 19 and I-376/PA 351 (all of 2 exits) is free. At the western end, it's only free if you're going to/from PA 351. Unless you're going to the race track, you're going to pay a toll anyway.

3 exits.  Don't forget the one for PA-18 (Exit #13).

Counted it. Can't be on for longer than 2 exits if you want to avoid the toll.

[rellimsukram]

I know this is off topic but does anyone else think that i80 i90 wasn't the best toll road choice for IN. Maybe around Gary it could be one, but I find that i69 or i65 would be much better options. i69 being a toll road would piss off everyone in fort wayne, but would rake in boatloads of cash. I80 i90 doesnt cover enough decent sized cities in indiana

[rickmastfan67]

Is the road continuously tolled from the NJ Turnpike to the end of the Chicago Skyway? I don't think so because isn't there a free section of the Penna Pike near the OH border? Otherwise I'm pretty sure it is continuously tolled.

The stretch between I-79/US 19 and I-376/PA 351 (all of 2 exits) is free. At the western end, it's only free if you're going to/from PA 351. Unless you're going to the race track, you're going to pay a toll anyway.

3 exits.  Don't forget the one for PA-18 (Exit #13).

Counted it. Can't be on for longer than 2 exits if you want to avoid the toll.

True.

[ysuindy]

I know this is off topic but does anyone else think that i80 i90 wasn't the best toll road choice for IN. Maybe around Gary it could be one, but I find that i69 or i65 would be much better options. i69 being a toll road would piss off everyone in fort wayne, but would rake in boatloads of cash. I80 i90 doesnt cover enough decent sized cities in indiana

When Ohio finished the Turnpike to the Indiana border, the Toll Road needed to be completed to Chicago. At that time, the intent was to connect the two largest cities in the US (New York and Chicago)

My understanding Indiana was planning a North - South Toll Road along roughly what became I65 when the Interstate Highway system was announced.  Ohio was planning the same for what is now the I-71 corridor.

[Joe The Dragon]

I know this is off topic but does anyone else think that i80 i90 wasn't the best toll road choice for IN. Maybe around Gary it could be one, but I find that i69 or i65 would be much better options. i69 being a toll road would piss off everyone in fort wayne, but would rake in boatloads of cash. I80 i90 doesnt cover enough decent sized cities in indiana

When Ohio finished the Turnpike to the Indiana border, the Toll Road needed to be completed to Chicago. At that time, the intent was to connect the two largest cities in the US (New York and Chicago)

My understanding Indiana was planning a North - South Toll Road along roughly what became I65 when the Interstate Highway system was announced.  Ohio was planning the same for what is now the I-71 corridor.

what was the plan for the I-294 / TOLL US 41 / maybe even a toll I-80 to IN TOLL WAY LINK back then?  Better linkage? Better linkages with a toll I-65? The interstate system ended a lot of the toll plans.

[SEWIGuy]

I know this is off topic but does anyone else think that i80 i90 wasn't the best toll road choice for IN. Maybe around Gary it could be one, but I find that i69 or i65 would be much better options. i69 being a toll road would piss off everyone in fort wayne, but would rake in boatloads of cash. I80 i90 doesnt cover enough decent sized cities in indiana

I think the theory is that the IN Toll Road captures tolls from a greater percentage of out-of-state people who are driving across the state more than citizens of Indiana.

[jeffandnicole]

Keep in mind that until late 2009 the Ohio Tpk did not accept E-Z Pass - the last in the series to to join the agency.  It was long after the other authorities joined E-Z Pass.

And it was a glorious day when it did.

They were very resistant to it, as it was mostly benefiting out-of-state traffic and there was a fairly large upfront cost to install all the equipment.  But...they were increasingly getting toll runners that figured the booths had EZ Pass and they would fly thru them.  The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel had the same issue, and I'm sure other non-EZ Pass entities in the Northeast have this problem as well.  The Cape May County Bridge authority doesn't accept EZ Pass, for example.

[iBallasticwolf2]

I know this is off topic but does anyone else think that i80 i90 wasn't the best toll road choice for IN. Maybe around Gary it could be one, but I find that i69 or i65 would be much better options. i69 being a toll road would piss off everyone in fort wayne, but would rake in boatloads of cash. I80 i90 doesnt cover enough decent sized cities in indiana

I have thought if all those toll roads were built soley to serve that one state's cities. Like the OH Turnpike might have been I-71 instead of I-80/I-90.

[SteveG1988]

Is the road continuously tolled from the NJ Turnpike to the end of the Chicago Skyway? I don't think so because isn't there a free section of the Penna Pike near the OH border? Otherwise I'm pretty sure it is continuously tolled.

There is also that one free exit on the OH turnpike before the IN border, and the one free exit on the NJ turnpike before the booth going east.

[Brandon]

Is the road continuously tolled from the NJ Turnpike to the end of the Chicago Skyway? I don't think so because isn't there a free section of the Penna Pike near the OH border? Otherwise I'm pretty sure it is continuously tolled.

There is also that one free exit on the OH turnpike before the IN border, and the one free exit on the NJ turnpike before the booth going east.

But there's no way to get to these exits without going through the tolled sections.  They're similar to the "free" exits on the Illinois Tollway.  Those are basically where the tolling regime flips from having entry ramps with tolls (coming from a mainline toll plaza) to having exit ramps with tolls (heading toward a mainline toll plaza).

[Henry]

I know this is off topic but does anyone else think that i80 i90 wasn't the best toll road choice for IN. Maybe around Gary it could be one, but I find that i69 or i65 would be much better options. i69 being a toll road would piss off everyone in fort wayne, but would rake in boatloads of cash. I80 i90 doesnt cover enough decent sized cities in indiana

When Ohio finished the Turnpike to the Indiana border, the Toll Road needed to be completed to Chicago. At that time, the intent was to connect the two largest cities in the US (New York and Chicago)

Which is already done with I-80, even though it doesn't actually go into either city. And I-80 east of the I-76 bump is a free road anyway. However, if you wanted to do an all-toll route between the two, it would require dipping through lower PA (bypassing Pittsburgh and Philly along the way) and then coming back up on the NJ Turnpike.

As for the question indicated in the thread, yes and no. The former is because it is an all-toll facility, and the latter because it is maintained by separate city/state agencies, as previously mentioned.

[jeffandnicole]

I know this is off topic but does anyone else think that i80 i90 wasn't the best toll road choice for IN. Maybe around Gary it could be one, but I find that i69 or i65 would be much better options. i69 being a toll road would piss off everyone in fort wayne, but would rake in boatloads of cash. I80 i90 doesnt cover enough decent sized cities in indiana

When Ohio finished the Turnpike to the Indiana border, the Toll Road needed to be completed to Chicago. At that time, the intent was to connect the two largest cities in the US (New York and Chicago)

Which is already done with I-80, even though it doesn't actually go into either city.

I-80 didn't exist when the toll roads were built.  You have to think back to the landscape of the 1940's and 50's.

[TXtoNJ]

I know this is off topic but does anyone else think that i80 i90 wasn't the best toll road choice for IN. Maybe around Gary it could be one, but I find that i69 or i65 would be much better options. i69 being a toll road would piss off everyone in fort wayne, but would rake in boatloads of cash. I80 i90 doesnt cover enough decent sized cities in indiana

When Ohio finished the Turnpike to the Indiana border, the Toll Road needed to be completed to Chicago. At that time, the intent was to connect the two largest cities in the US (New York and Chicago)

Which is already done with I-80, even though it doesn't actually go into either city. And I-80 east of the I-76 bump is a free road anyway. However, if you wanted to do an all-toll route between the two, it would require dipping through lower PA (bypassing Pittsburgh and Philly along the way) and then coming back up on the NJ Turnpike.

As for the question indicated in the thread, yes and no. The former is because it is an all-toll facility, and the latter because it is maintained by separate city/state agencies, as previously mentioned.

The Indiana Toll Road does exactly what it was designed to do - charge out-of-state travelers who must travel through Indiana to get where they're going without having any intention of stopping and contributing to the state's economy.