About The Oldest Toll In America
The toll road is also the first long distance paved road built in the U.S.
A toll is a charge payable for permission to use a particular bridge or road. Toll roads, bridges, tunnels, and express lanes often require travelers to pay a toll for access. These tolls help cover the costs associated with building and maintaining these transportation routes. Toll amounts can vary based on factors like distance traveled, vehicle type, and time of day.
The oldest toll road in America is located on the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike (now named U.S. Route 30), which was built in 1792. It was the first hard-surfaced road and first turnpike in the United States. It was also the first road in the Nation to be funded by tolls.
The word turnpike comes from the fact that a long pole, or pike, was placed across the road at the toll station. As soon as the travelers paid the toll, the pike was "turned" to allow them to proceed.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission describes it as the nation's first major toll road. The U.S. Department Of Transportation recognizes it as the earliest toll road in the United States. National Geographic defines it as the country’s first toll road.
America's first, and oldest, toll road was built by a private company incorporated 1792 by the state legislature. Completed two years later and praised as the finest highway of its day, the stone-and-gravel turnpike stretched 62 miles. The surface allowed stage wagons to average five to seven miles per hour.
The road was built between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Early in the 20th century, this road was acquired by the state; it became part of the transcontinental Lincoln Highway and U.S. 30. It revolutionized transportation in the region, significantly reducing travel time and improving accessibility between Philadelphia and Lancaster.
The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike was a private venture, and it was built by a group of investors. The investors were granted a charter by the Pennsylvania legislature to build and operate the road. In exchange for the charter, the investors agreed to charge tolls to users of the road.
The turnpike was a success, and it quickly became a major transportation route between Philadelphia and Lancaster. The road was also a boon to the economy of Pennsylvania. The road's construction marked the beginning of organized road improvement after the long period of economic confusion following the American Revolution.
The success of the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike served as a model for the construction of other turnpikes and improved roads across the United States during the early 19th century. The turnpike's legacy is commemorated by historical markers, monuments, and preserved sections of the road, which serve as reminders of its importance in American history.
The former Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike was absorbed into the transcontinental route known as the Lincoln Highway in 1913. At the time of its dedication, it was the only coast-to-coast roadway in the country, and was established with the newly popular automobile in mind.
It was formally dedicated to President Abraham Lincoln, with several statues of Lincoln placed along its 3,389-mile length. Given that the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC wasn't dedicated until 1922, the highway remained the only national memorial to Lincoln for nine years.
Portions of the original turnpike route are still in use today, though they have been widened, straightened, and modernized over the years to accommodate increased traffic and modern vehicles. Today, the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike tolls are still in use, and it is known as the transcontinental Lincoln Highway and U.S. Route 30 or U.S. Highway 30.
The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike is the third longest U.S. route in the country. It was designated the Lincoln Highway from Philadelphia to the Ohio border. Tolls are still used today to fund the construction and maintenance.
Today, the road is no longer owned by a private company, and it is now maintained by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike still remains the oldest toll freeway in the United States. The tolls went all-electronic in 2020.