Here's good news for Pennsylvania drivers motoring west. The Ohio Turnpike Commission has finally given the gas to a plan to install E-ZPass toll lanes.

E-ZPass electronic toll collection is being included in a $28.7 million contract to replace the 241-mile highway's old manual system. Once it's installed and activated, which will take about 17 months, drivers entering or exiting the turnpike with an electronic transponder will no longer have to wait in long lines at toll booths. The unit, usually mounted on the windshield or front bumper, records the driver's toll and deducts it from an online account.

Ohio Turnpike officials have been stuck in park compared to their counterparts in Pennsylvania (where E-ZPass debuted in 2000), Illinois, Indiana and nine other states. It wasn't until December 2006 that Ohio officials announced their intention to purchase the E-ZPass system.

In addition to E-ZPass, the new toll collection mode will allow drivers to pay with cash, credit or debit cards and "swipe tags," which should also help to keep traffic moving. In fact, 11 interchanges will have some toll lanes equipped with automated payment machines that will accept all forms of payment and won't have to be staffed at all times.

That's a major improvement for Ohio -- one that saves money and time -- as it plays catch-up with other states, And it means smoother travels for Pennsylvanians, who will no longer have to grope for money or that turnpike ticket.