TOPEKA (KSNT) - Work crews are making progress in Kansas as they remove the now obsolete toll booths dotting the state's turnpike following the arrival of cashless tolling.
Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) CEO Steve Hewitt unveiled the plans for the all-new cashless tolling system in Kansas on April 5, 2024. The new toll system went live officially on July 1, 2024, prompting different reactions from the state's drivers.
KTA spokeswoman Rachel Bell told 27 News the removal of old toll booths started almost immediately after cashless tolling went live. Some smaller toll plazas, located at exit 197 and 204, are already gone. These workers will continue to remove the toll booths over the next year-and-a-half until there are none remaining.
"At some exits, KTA personnel is doing the work," Bell said. "Other locations that require more concrete work are the responsibility of contractors. Contractors will begin in early August."
Another change drivers may have noticed while traveling along the state's highways are the alterations to the old toll signs that alerted motorists to upcoming toll locations. These signs were adjusted after cashless tolling became active with more adjustments on the way for some signs as the toll plazas are demolished.
Bell said new signage is already up across the 236 miles of the Kansas Turnpike informing drivers about the new cashless tolling system. There are currently no plans to install any additional signage for this.
"For a conversion this size, the project has gone very smoothly," Bell said. "Work is not done, however. There are still pieces of the conversion process that are ongoing. For example, the billing cycle for transactions taken on July 1 when cashless tolling began will be billed beginning August 1; the DriveKS mobile app is still in review with the app stores. Overall, the new roadside toll collection system has been in place less than a month and our new back office system went live on July 8. It will take some time to fine-tune both of these systems so we anticipate making adjustments as needed."
To learn more about cashless tolling in Kansas and how it works, click here.
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