Major changes on bridges in the Hudson Valley will likely lead to some increased traffic but should help drivers in the long run.

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The New York State Bridge Authority announced on Tuesday that its five bridge toll crossings in the Hudson Valley are set to convert to cashless tolling beginning this summer

The conversion to cashless tolling at NYSBA’s toll crossings will be rolled out in phases, starting in July 2021 at the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. The implementation at Newburgh-Beacon will take place after the July 4th holiday weekend, with an exact date to be announced.

The Newburgh-Beacon Bridge already has some structural elements for cashless tolling that were installed during the initial phase of the current deck replacement project, officials say.

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Projects to convert to cashless tolling on the other four spans operated by the Bridge Authority – the Bear Mountain, the Mid-Hudson, the Kingston-Rhinecliff and the Rip Van Winkle Bridges – will begin in subsequent months, with the conversion to cashless tolling on all five spans to be fully complete by Spring 2022.

“This conversion to cashless tolling will bring great benefits, such as reduced congestion, to drivers who use the Bridge Authority system,” Acting Executive Director of the Bridge Authority Tara Sullivan stated. “We’re excited to bring this 21st-century technology and improved driving experience to travelers in the mid-Hudson region.”

When cashless tolling is operational at these five bridge crossings, motorists will experience non-stop travel under gantries with state-of-the-art sensors and cameras that read E-ZPass tags and take license plate images.

Vehicles with E-ZPass tags are automatically charged and vehicles without E-ZPass tags will have their license plate image captured and a toll bill mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle via Tolls by Mail. Non E-ZPass customers have a number of options to pay including by mail, over the phone, online, and via the TollsNY app.

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