Done deal: Gov. Murphy approves toll hikes for 3 major highways

Tolls will increase on three of New Jersey’s major highways in September.
Gov. Phil Murphy’s office confirmed the increase on Wednesday. Murphy signed the meeting minutes on May 27, the same day the boards that operate the highways approved the increases for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and South Jersey Transportation Authority.
The increases will take effect Sept. 13. Tolls would rise by 36% on the Turnpike, meaning the average trip that now costs $3.50 would rise to $4.80. Garden State Parkway tolls would rise by 27%, increasing the cost of an average trip by 30 cents. Atlantic City Expressway tolls would increase an average of 57 cents.
The Department of Transportation says that the toll increases will be used for a variety of highway improvement projects.
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority faced some criticism for holding hearings about the toll hikes during the COVID-19 pandemic when larger gatherings were banned. Gov. Murphy and Turnpike officials said that the hearings would be streamed online for the public to view and comment on.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.