Ohio Turnpike Issues High Wind Travel Ban for High-Profile Vehicles
Ahead of high winds with rain and snow across northern Ohio, the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission has issued a TRAVEL BAN across the entire 241-mile toll road for all high-profile vehicles from 8 a.m. EST, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, to 11:59 p.m., Thursday, EST, Nov. 27, 2025.
High-profile vehicles are defined as height exceeding 7 feet and 6 inches.
The ban DOES NOT apply to passenger vehicles, including sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks.
For the full Travel Alert – including a list of vehicles permitted to travel on the Ohio Turnpike – click here.
Ohio Turnpike, Ohio State Highway Patrol Urge Motorists to Practice Safe Driving over the Thanksgiving Holiday
The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission and the Ohio State Highway Patrol are reminding all motorists to buckle up, driver sober and avoid distractions behind the wheel.
“We have much to be thankful for and we’d like to see everyone arrive safely for the holidays,” said Executive Director Ferzan Ahmed, P.E., of the Turnpike Commission. “Plan ahead, leave early and take a break if you need to at one of our conveniently located 14 service plazas.”
To accommodate an increase in traffic over the Thanksgiving travel period, construction in work zones across the Ohio Turnpike will be limited to two work zones from Wednesday (Nov. 26) through Sunday (Nov. 30). At least two lanes of traffic in both the eastbound and westbound directions will remain open across the Ohio Turnpike.
During the 2024 Thanksgiving travel period, Wednesday through Sunday, 800,000 vehicle transactions were recorded and nearly 50 million vehicle miles were traveled.
Click here for full article.
Ohio Turnpike Prepares for Winter with Snowplow Truck Inspections
In preparation for the winter driving season and to keep motorists safe, maintenance/roadway workers from the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission inspected its snowplow trucks and other equipment last week at eight maintenance buildings located across the 241-mile toll road.
The maintenance checklist includes a 136-point inspection of all engine parts, plowing equipment, tires, lights, and other components as well as a test calibration of the salt and liquid de-icing systems and more.
This year, 103 snowplow trucks will be available to maintain the Ohio Turnpike’s 1,400 lane miles, 24 toll plaza interchanges and nine non-tolled plazas, and 14 service plazas.
Click here for the full article.
Ohio Turnpike Commemorates its 70th Anniversary in Berea
The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission paid tribute to the official opening of the Ohio Turnpike, which occurred 70 years ago. On Oct. 1, 1955, at 12:01 a.m., then Gov. Frank J. Lausche declared, “Remove all barricades. Open the gates and let the traffic flow!”
During the Ohio Turnpike’s 70
th Anniversary celebration event in Berea on Oct. 1, 2025, Jerry Hruby, chairman of the turnpike commission, told about 400 audience members that during construction over the course of 38 months, there were four major rivers to cross. The widest river valley to cross was the Cuyahoga River where it flows in Summit County. “It required the longest structure of the project, a set of half-mile long twin bridges that spanned 2,682 feet across the river,” he said.
Ferzan Ahmed, P.E., executive director of the turnpike commission, provided a glimpse of the Turnpike’s future: “The Ohio Turnpike will emphasize safety, convenience, and value. While improving our safety and convenience for customers, we will always strive to maintain our value by keeping our toll rates the lowest in the region.”
Click here for the full article.
Ohio Turnpike and Ohio State Highway Patrol Prioritize Safety in Work Zones
As summer begins to wind down and families head out on their final trips before back-to-school season, the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission and the Ohio State
Highway Patrol are teaming up to prioritize safety and reduce work zone crashes along the 241-mile-long toll road.
With an increase in traffic comes a greater risk of crashes, and far too many of these crashes occur in work zones. In 2025 thus far, there were 252 crashes in Ohio Turnpike works zones, many of which were preventable.
“The Commission understands that time is valuable for its customers, but construction zones often require a reduction in the normal speed limit due to reduced lane widths, traffic shifts, and reduced or eliminated shoulders,” said Ferzan M. Ahmed, P.E., executive director of the Commission. “To keep motorists moving, all work zones on the Ohio Turnpike have at least two lanes open during day travel.”
Click here for the full story.
Traveling through the Open Road Tolling Plazas on the Ohio Turnpike? Here’s What You Need to Know
Mount Your E-ZPass Transponder to the Windshield Correctly to Avoid Additional Charges
Many changes have occurred across the 241-mile Ohio Turnpike that require E-ZPass customers to properly mount their E-ZPass transponders to the windshield behind the review mirror and away from any tinted areas.
These changes include the new open road tolling lanes for E-ZPass customers to travel nonstop at highway speed; the removal of all gates in the entrance lanes and E-ZPass exit lanes at 20 toll plaza interchanges; and the installation of video cameras to capture images of license plates, which is required to mail invoices for unpaid tolls.
Numerous tolling points to detect an E-ZPass were added to the Ohio Turnpike’s new open road tolling system, so waving an E-ZPass transponder by hand is ineffective and unsafe. If an E-ZPass transponder is not read properly by the system (no entry point was detected), the likely outcome is a max fare charge.
To avoid other potential billing issues, E-ZPass customers should also keep their online accounts up to date, including a listing of vehicle license plate number(s), a valid credit card as well as full contact information and email address.
To pay a toll online, visit
www.ezpassoh.com or call customer service at 440.971.2222.
For more details about the Ohio Turnpike’s new tolling system, visit
www.ohioturnpike.org/openroadtolling2024.
Click the image below to view a video on how to properly install your E-ZPass transponder.
