Those large plastic buckets you've been dumping your tolls in for years appear to going the way of the dinosaurs, according to Illinois Tollway spokesperson Dan Rozek.

I thought that there would be more of those buckets involved in a change-over, but the Illinois Tollway says there are about 100 toll machines left that still take coins in their bucket.

The toll bucket-drop system has largely become outdated due to I-PASS lanes, and the 100 or so machines that are still out there are at least 20 years old. As you might imagine, a 20 year old machine keeps getting harder to repair due to the scarcity of replacement parts.

So, the Illinois Tollway has decided to bite the bullet (or, more accurately, write the check), and start a gradual replacement of the buckets with new machines that would be touch-screen, and capable of accepting credit and/or debit cards, bills, and coins.

Price tag per new toll machine? About $76,000.

The Illinois Tollway says they hope to have the new machines in place within one year of the contract being signed this Spring.

Ever skipped paying a toll?

 

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