2026 NFL Draft is Coming to Pittsburgh, Travel Smart with E-ZPass

2026 NFL Draft is Coming to Pittsburgh, Travel Smart with E-ZPass

Middletown, Pa. — As pleasure builds for the National Football League’s 2026 Draft in Pittsburgh, sports activities followers – with E-ZPass – can save as much as 50% on tolls touring on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and 33% on tolls on the Ohio Turnpike. It’s essentially the most cost-effective approach to journey on each the Pennsylvania and Ohio toll roads.

Taking place April 23-25, 2026, the NFL Draft is predicted to attract between 500,000 and 700,000 visitors from throughout the nation, based on Visit Pittsburgh.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) will  provide “Road to the Draft” customer support experiences at 5 of its 17 service plazas to assist this milestone occasion. Customer experiences will happen on the Oakmont Plum, New Stanton, North Midway, North Somerset and Sideling Hill service plazas. These actions will embrace a selfie station, youngsters’s actions space, and a 3D vinyl artwork exercise, the place company can work together with it. Guests are inspired to tag the PA Turnpike on its Facebook and Instagram accounts.

The PA Turnpike can also be partnering with native social media influencers to construct pleasure. These actions are designed to provide vacationers and their households a enjoyable approach to have a good time Pennsylvania internet hosting the 2026 NFL Draft whereas stopping alongside the PA Turnpike.

“More than 85% of our customers already enjoy E-ZPass’ increased ease of travel, which is why we converted to a cashless system in 2020,” mentioned Mark Compton, CEO of the PA Turnpike. “The Pennsylvania Turnpike is eager to welcome visitors from around the country and the Commonwealth as we prepare to host several high-profile events in 2026. There’s never been a better time to spread the word about our E-ZPass savings.”

With the launch of Open Road Tolling (ORT) in Pennsylvania, E-ZPass additionally gives a smoother experience with extra dependable journey value calculations. The discounted, blended passenger automobile charge is $.17 per mile – decrease than the nationwide toll common. In an ORT system, tolls are charged electronically as prospects drive at freeway speeds beneath overhead constructions — known as gantries — situated between interchanges, with out slowing down or stopping.

Already an E-ZPass buyer in one of many 18 other participating states? Your transponder works in Pennsylvania and Ohio. While toll charges fluctuate based on your state’s guidelines, out-of-state prospects nonetheless get pleasure from discounted charges, smoother rides, and dependable billing.

“The Ohio Turnpike launched its Open Road Tolling system in April 2024,” mentioned Ferzan M. Ahmed, P.E., govt director of the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission. “E-ZPass customers with passenger vehicles – save an average up to 33% on tolls – and can travel nonstop across the 241-mile Ohio Turnpike at highway speed.”

The Ohio Turnpike additionally options 14 fashionable service plazas providing vacationers a number of facilities, together with gasoline and diesel gas, electrical car charging stations, standard eating places, espresso retailers, comfort shops, well-maintained relaxation rooms, and extra.

E-ZPass additionally streamlines funds, protects private knowledge and saves time. Cybercriminals proceed to impersonate transportation businesses throughout the nation, focusing on unsuspecting people with phony invoice assortment texts and emails. E-ZPass prospects can shortly reassure themselves by logging in to the self-service portal anytime with established, safe credentials. There, they’ll evaluate payments, account standing and fee strategies, serving to defeat smishing scammers.

ORT’s launch means correct E-ZPass transponder mounting is important for vacationers driving throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio. When mounted accurately, transponders have a 99.5% accuracy charge. Improper mounting poses security dangers, together with billing points attributable to missed toll readings. Learn how to properly mount your transponder here.

Getting an E-ZPass from the PA Turnpike has by no means been simpler. Travelers have a number of handy methods to open an account and begin saving as we speak.

1. Visit a collaborating retailer: E-ZPass Go Paks can be found at collaborating retail places in Pennsylvania.
2. Open an E-ZPass Account Using the PA Toll Pay App: Download the PA Toll Pay app to open or handle your account. Customers can add or take away automobiles with the snap of a photograph, replace fee data, activate your transponder, and evaluate account exercise.
3. Open an Account Online: Register for an E-ZPass account on-line. All you want is your driver’s license, license plate quantity, bank card, and e-mail handle. Once you register, your E-ZPass shall be mailed to your handle.
4. Open an Account by Phone or Mail: Call us to open an E-ZPass account by telephone or download the E-ZPass application and mail it to the handle under.
5. In-Person: Stop by the PA Turnpike E-ZPass Customer Service heart to buy a transponder. Hours and Location Listed under:

PA Turnpike E-ZPass Customer Service Center
300 East Park Drive
Harrisburg, PA 17111
(877) 736-6727
8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday-Friday

An Ohio Turnpike E-ZPass transponder might be ordered online already activated and shipped through U.S. Mail; or bought at greater than 500 retail locations, together with all 14 Ohio Turnpike service plaza places, with activation directions.

To decide the price of your journey on the Ohio Turnpike, use the Fare Calculator.

The Ohio Turnpike’s E-ZPass Customer Service Center might be reached at (440) 971-2222 on Monday to Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to six p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to five p.m. For extra data, go to www.ohioturnpike.org or www.ezpassoh.com.

 

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Media Contacts:

Marissa Orbanek, Press Secretary, PA Turnpike: (267) 408-5151, morbanek@paturnpike.com 

Brian Newbacher, Public Information Officer, Ohio Turnpike: (440) 690-2223
brian.newbacher@ohioturnpike.org