KANSAS (KAKE) – With “Cash or KTAG” lanes now painted along I-35, and the booths where workers were still on Sunday now covered with large signs, it’s a new era of interstate highways in Kansas.
“It’s been pretty good so far. I wish the speed limit was a little higher. But other than that, it looks good,” Trapper McFerron said.
McFerron and his family live in Arizona and are headed to Wisconsin for the holidays. He said he could tell something was very different this time after crossing the border into Kansas.
“We went through last year. We had to stop all the time to pay. So it was nice to just go through. I mean, I wish there weren’t tolls, but at least we’re not stopping,” McFerron said.
Starting Monday, for the first time in the state, drivers will no longer have to stop once while traveling on I-35 to get a ticket or pay at a ticket booth, even if they exit.
Steven Carter said he was thrilled to save time when he got his first KTAG years ago because he no longer had to stop to pay cash. But he added he still often had to slow down and wait for the barrier to let cars through one at a time, which is why his experience Monday was already much better.
“I don’t have to worry about people stopping to go through these slow sections,” Carter said. “I appreciate not having to stop.”
Carter says the new system couldn’t be simpler.
As you drive along the highway, you will occasionally notice new large metal sensors. Just drive at full speed and the state will debit your KTAG account or send you an invoice by mail.
Drivers like Carter and McFerron say they can see the time saved adding up quickly, but they hope other travelers have a little more patience this week as the holidays approach.
“Pay attention to what’s going on around you,” Carter said.
“Drive safely. Stay on the highways. Take places where you don’t have to stop, like these roads,” McFerron said.
The Kansas Turnpike Authority has announced that its website will be down for about a week while it transitions to the new system. You won’t be able to access your account at first, but they say there’s nothing to worry about because the KTA won’t charge any late fees during this time.
