Auditor General DePasquale Launches Audit of Pennsylvania Turnpike



Auditor General DePasquale Launches Audit of Pennsylvania Turnpike

Printer friendly news release

HARRISBURG (Jan. 3, 2018) – Auditor General Eugene DePasquale today announced the start of a performance audit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

“The Pennsylvania Turnpike is a critical part of Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure and a key thoroughfare for commercial, commuter, and leisure travelers,” DePasquale said. “Since the turnpike is such an important part of Pennsylvania’s economy and mobility, it is important to periodically assess the toll road system’s financial and operational health.

“Through this audit I hope to provide an accurate picture of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s status, and — if necessary — make recommendations for improvement.”

The audit, which will cover June 2015 through May 2017, will assess the performance, procedures, operating and capital budgets, debt and accounts of the Turnpike Commission.

The audit will focus on these initial objectives:

Determine if the commission’s revenue collections are meeting projected toll revenue expectations in order to meet its payment obligations and planned capital improvement projects.

Review and evaluate the process of selecting and awarding construction contracts.

The previous audit of the Turnpike Commission, released in September 2016, found toll violations were increasing, causing the turnpike commission to write off $12 million to $20 million per year. The audit also noted that failing to meet the commission’s unrealistic traffic and revenue projections could contribute to a financial and statewide transportation crisis.

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