ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Woodbury Toll Barrier, located on the Thruway mainline at milepost 45.03 in Orange County, is the southern gateway to the Thruway’s ticketed system and also serves as the gateway to the Catskills and upstate New York.  With more than 20 million vehicles passing through annually, it is one of the busiest toll plazas on the 641-mile Thruway System.  The Woodbury Toll Barrier currently has 15 toll lanes. At present there are 6 lanes (3 entering northbound and 3 exiting southbound) which can be dedicated to E-ZPass only transactions. The remaining 9 lanes operate in “mixed mode” processing both cash and E-ZPass transactions. All lanes are equipped with E-ZPass equipment for electronic toll collection. 

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Thruway traffic has consistently grown at a rate of 2.3 percent annually in the Woodbury area and is predicted to continue at that rate. Therefore, the introduction of Highway Speed E-ZPass lanes will improve traffic flow through the barrier and benefit the majority of the travelers utilizing the barrier.

Increasing traffic volumes Thruway-wide continually challenge the Authority to reduce congestion within toll collection areas. When possible, additional staffed and dedicated E-ZPass lanes have been added; however, traffic demands at the existing Barriers continue to grow. Additionally, the Woodbury Barrier is located within Interchange 16, which places expansion constraints on the existing barrier and its ability to meet future traffic demands. Because of these constraints, the Authority has looked to advances in technology to provide the necessary innovative solutions.