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Design of All-Electronic Toll Collection Gantries Nears Completion Progress continues on the NTTA’s transition to all-electronic toll collection (all-ETC), with final designs of all gantry locations almost complete and the design approved for all-ETC roadway signs.
Designers have reached the 90 percent completion stage for gantries at all locations along the President George Bush Turnpike (PGBT) and at all locations along the Dallas North Tollway (DNT) except the new main lane gantry just north of the Keller Springs Toll Plaza. Progress on designs for the all-ETC transition is at similar stages for the Addison Airport Toll Tunnel and the Mountain Creek Lake Toll Bridge.
Crews are scheduled to begin installing ETC equipment on the PGBT in the first quarter of 2009. Current schedules call for the Bush Turnpike to switch to all-ETC in the third quarter of 2009. Plans call for the use of existing ramp and main lane toll plaza structures, limiting construction-related disruptions to NTTA customers whenever possible.
The Dallas North Tollway will follow a different schedule, with equipment installation beginning in the second quarter of 2009 and the switch to all-ETC occurring in the first quarter of 2010. Details are being finalized on the installation of new ETC equipment gantries and the removal of existing DNT ramp and main lane plazas.
The all-ETC project also will feature new information signs that notify NTTA customers of toll rates for both TollTag and ZipCash customers. The information signs will have the capability to be modified at a later date to include digital displays of toll rate information.
The Authority’s Board of Directors approved the $92.6 million conversion to all-ETC in August 2007. The project is expected to improve safety and traffic flow for NTTA customers, and improve air quality for the region.
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