The Maryland Transportation Authority has set the dates to begin cashless toll collection at the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge (Route 40) in Harford and Cecil counties and at the Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695) in Baltimore.
Toll booths will remain in place until 2021 and motorists will have to slow down while the tolls are recorded.
In Delaware, the tolling method is already in place at the Route 301 toll road.
Prior to the morning rush hour on Wednesday, October 16, all-electronic toll collection will begin at the Hatem Bridge via E-ZPass and Video Tolling. All-electronic toll collection at the Key Bridge will begin Wednesday, Oct. 30.
As of those dates, cash will no longer be accepted as payment. New overhead structures, or gantries, have been installed at the bridges to collect tolls electronically.
The gantries are used in Delaware on Route 301. On Route 95 and Route 1 toll gantries are used in combination with toll booths and allow motorists to travel at a higher speed limit. The gantries have sharply reduced back-ups on I-95.
The existing toll plazas will still be up at the Hatem and Key bridges until 2021. Drivers will continue through the plazas without stopping and must obey all roadway signs and speed limits, as the plazas will remain work zones.
In spring 2021, work at the Hatem and Key bridges will be completed, including demolition of the toll plazas. At that time, motorists will be able to travel at highway speeds.
It is anticipated that drivers using the Hatem and Key bridges will save $1 million in fuel and 44,000 hours each year by not stopping at toll booths. The change also increases driver safety and results in a safer work environment for employees, a release from the authority stated.
At the Hatem Bridge – where tolls are collected in one direction only – the two-axle E-ZPass toll rate is $6, and the two-axle video toll rate is $12. The toll is $2 higher for other types of EZ-Passes.
The E-ZPass Hatem Bridge discounts will remain available with cashless tolling. E-ZPass commuter plans are available.
Standard E-ZPass transponders are free and there is no monthly fee for customers with Maryland addresses. Motorists can sign up for E-ZPass Maryland at ezpassmd.com, by visiting the E-ZPass Maryland Customer Service Center at the Hatem Bridge and Key Bridge, or at any other centers located adjacent to MDTA facilities.
