In January 2017 the state is due to finish paying $300 million in bonds. By state law, that means that tolls are no longer to be collected on the Massachusetts Turnpike. However, state officials, including Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, are recommending that the tolls continue with all proceeds going towards much-needed infrastructure improvements, such as reconstructing the I-495 interchange in Westborough.
Commuters will also soon be able to drive straight through toll plazas once the state has finished installing electronic tolling gantries on the pike. The move to use gantries, structures that will span a highway lane housing a device that scans EZ-Pass transponders or license plates, will help to eliminate traffic congestion and accidents, Pollack said.