The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) is ready to support the millions of drivers who will travel America’s First Superhighway for the Labor Day holiday weekend.

The PA Turnpike projects 2.9 million customers will be on the PA Turnpike system between Sept. 3 and Sept. 7, a 1.2% increase compared to 2025 volumes.

As part of its mission to operate a safe, reliable, customer-valued toll road system that supports national mobility and commerce, the PA Turnpike will be doing its part to help keep vehicles moving during the holiday weekend. The PA Turnpike’s GEICO Safety Patrol safety teams throughout the system on the busiest days to assure travelers get to their destinations safely. All roadway construction and maintenance projects will be suspended beginning Sept. 3 at 3 p.m. until Sept. 7 at 11 p.m. to ensure as many travel lanes are open as possible.

Pennsylvania State Police Troop T will have extra patrols during the holiday period to ensure drivers are following the posted speed limits, allowing proper distance between other vehicles and maintaining general respect for other motorists and driving conditions.

Drivers are reminded that full enforcement of “Paul Miller’s Law” went into effect in Pennsylvania earlier this year, prohibiting the use of handheld devices while driving, even while stopped temporarily due to traffic, a red light, or other momentary delay. Drivers convicted of using a handheld device while driving will pay a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees. Drivers can still use their phones to alert authorities in the event of an emergency and use hands-free technology to make phone calls, use a GPS, and listen to music.

Travelers in the west will notice work is nearly done over the highway as the PA Turnpike heads toward the finish line on its conversion to Open Road Tolling (ORT). In an ORT system, tolls are charged electronically as customers drive at highway speeds without slowing down or stopping beneath overhead structures — called gantries — located between interchanges. Equipment on the gantry and in the roadway processes E-ZPass or Toll By Plate transactions. ORT reduces confusion and lane switching associated with traditional, stop-and-go tolling. The switch to ORT occurred last year for areas east of the Reading Interchange (Exit 286) and the entirety of the Northeast Extension, while the launch on the western section of the mainline PA Turnpike is scheduled for early next year.

Where ORT is live, the PA Turnpike has been removing toll plazas from interchange locations, the driving force behind the safety benefits. Once the toll plazas are removed, each interchange is being reconstructed to provide an unobstructed traffic flow for customers. The reconstruction of interchanges, which includes the removal of toll booths, east of Reading and on the Northeast Extension will be completed by the end of this year.

Here are some tips for traveling this holiday weekend:

• Practice safe driving habits, including driving responsibly, powering off your devices and removing unnecessary distractions.

• If you see an emergency responder on the road, follow Pennsylvania’s Move Over Law and move over into an adjacent lane if it is safe to do so, or slow down to a speed of not more than 20 mph less than the posted speed limit.

• Take advantage of the most cost-effective way to travel on the PA Turnpike with E-ZPass. Sign up online or find a nearby retailer to save 50 percent on your tolls.

• Be sure to properly mount your transponder for a more seamless trip.

• Regardless of whether you want to save with E-ZPass or travel with Toll By Plate, get ahead of your travel and easily manage your tolls through the PA Toll Pay App.

• Find out exactly how much your toll is going to be ahead of time with the PA Turnpike Toll Calculator.

• Know that help is just a call away, thanks to the Pennsylvania Turnpike Safety Patrol, sponsored by GEICO. Dial *11 via mobile phone to get support or report an incident or other emergency on the PA Turnpike.

• And remember, you can access your account safely through the PA Toll Pay App or your E-ZPass Account to manage your account activity and avoid interacting with unsolicited texts, calls or emails.