Kansas Turnpike toll prices are going up. Here’s what it will cost you

The cost of driving on the Kansas Turnpike is about to go up.

The Kansas Turnpike Authority said Wednesday it will raise toll prices beginning Oct. 1.

Passenger vehicles with a K-TAG will see an increase of about 5 percent. Commercial vehicles with a K-TAG may see an adjustment due to rounding electronic fares to the nearest nickel, the Turnpike Authority said.

Passenger vehicles paying cash will see an increase of about 12.5 percent, while commercial vehicles paying cash will see a 10 percent increase. All cash fares will be rounded to the nearest quarter.

About 40 percent of customers now pay cash, while 60 percent use an electronic system such as K-TAG, the KTA said.

“KTA continues to be fiscally strong,” Kent Olson, KTA’s director of finance, said in a statement. “However, a modest toll adjustment is necessary to pay for preservation and modernization projects using cash on hand rather than issuing new debt.”

Olson went on to say that the increase will allow KTA to increase the discount for its electronic toll collection system, which it called more efficient.

After the toll increases are implemented, passenger vehicles using K-TAG will save about 25 percent compared with cash tolls, KTA said.

The Turnpike Authority plans to remove gates in more K-TAG lanes over the coming year. That includes building high-speed toll lanes in east Topeka and near the Oklahoma border. The KTA said it continues to focus on rehabilitation and reconstruction of bridges as well.

In a statement, the KTA noted it receives no tax funding and is supported by tolls.

You can look at the full toll schedule, coming Oct. 1, here: KTA toll schedule (PDF).

This story was originally published July 18, 2018 at 6:09 PM.