Big changes are on the way for the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the new year as it starts to replace its outdated tollbooths with unobtrusive overhead structures to reduce congestion, but residents of the western region of the state will have to wait to see the benefits.

Beginning Jan. 5, parts of the turnpike east of Reading and along its Northeastern Extension, which runs through the Delaware Valley, will switch to open road tolling, eliminating toll plazas and tollbooths to allow for free-flowing traffic.

Open road tolling will expand to Western Pa. in January 2027, said Turnpike Assistant Press Secretary Crispin Havener. The new system is the culmination of the Turnpike’s decade-long plan to modernize its operations and to meet customer expectations, he said....

The current toll booths, with their narrow lanes that slow down traffic, are set to be replaced by new structures called gantries that hang over the road and allow customers to maintain their speed, said Mr. Havener.

The gantries will scan cars that already have E-ZPass transponders, and will take high-definition pictures of cars that do not and send them an invoice later. Cars without transponders will be charged at a higher rate, but Mr. Havener said that more than 85% of customers already have transponders.