The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has announced some changes affecting travelers amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The commission stopped accepting cash or credit cards on its mainline ticket system Monday night. All tolls will be assessed electronically, either through E-ZPass or through the Toll by Plate program.

“This is a temporary safety measure to keep travelers moving with no need to stop at tollbooths or interact with tolling personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the commission said in a news release.

Drivers who don’t have E-ZPass should use the “Tickets” entrances and “Cash” exits, but not stop at the tollbooth. Instead, high-speed cameras will photograph a drivers’ license plate as they pass through the toll area. Then, the vehicle’s registered owner will receive a mailed invoice within 30 days.

Drivers using Toll by Plate will be charged the cash toll rate. Commission spokesman Carl DeFebo said commuters will receive multiple trips on invoices, and invoices can be paid online, by phone or by mail.

In addition, at the turnpike’s 17 service plazas, only the gas stations and convenience stores will be open at all service stations. The fast food restaurants and restrooms are closed and portable toilets will be available, and that began Monday night, DeFebo said.

The exception is the Allentown Service Plaza in Upper and Lower Macungie townships, which is completely closed because of its fuel-tank replacement project, started March 2 and expected to last into May.

The portable toilets will be regularly serviced and sanitized twice daily, the commission said. Each service plaza has two hand-washing stations.

The commission previously announced partial closures at the King of Prussia Service Plaza in Montgomery County and the Valley Forge and Peter J. Camiel service plazas in Chester County, after Gov. Tom Wolf issued shutdown orders in those counties that were expanded statewide on Monday.

The turnpike commission has also closed administrative office buildings to the public, and halted construction projects, including the Allentown fuel tank project.

DeFebo, who has been with the turnpike commission for more than 20 year, said this is the first time he can remember the turnpike scaling back services.

Typically the turnpike deals with increased traffic at the service centers, like with Pope Francis’s 2015 visit to Philadelphia and the Democratic National Convention the following year.

“This is really the first time in decades that we’ve reduced services in the plazas,” DeFebo said. “Typically, we’re staffing up” to add more services.

As a COVID-19 safety measure, @PA_Turnpike will not accept cash/credit at ticket-system toll plazas starting tonight at 8 p.m. All tolls will be temporarily collected via E-ZPass or TOLL BY PLATE as vehicles travel at posted speeds through plazas. Go to https://t.co/qv8k3a80mp. pic.twitter.com/1LPid2svlx — Pennsylvania Turnpike (@PA_Turnpike) March 16, 2020

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