Other names for a turnpike are toll road, tollway, pike, or toll highway.
On a turnpike with barrier toll plazas, drivers stop at certain points to pay a fee. This system eliminates the need to build toll booths at all entries and exits, but it creates traffic jams.
With an entry/exit system, drivers get a ticket at the beginning of their journey that lists fees for various exit points depending on distance traveled.
Some turnpikes are created with the BOT system (Build-Operate-Transfer): a private company constructs the turnpike and collects the revenue. After a previously-agreed-upon time period, the government takes over ownership and revenue.
Payment can be made with cash or tokens. Many also now accept credit cards, prepaid cards or electronic systems that eliminate the need for the driver to stop at the tollbooth.
Great Britain began building private toll roads in 1663, and the United States followed in 1792 in order to solve the problem of poorly-maintained roads. The first U.S. turnpike was 62 miles long connecting Philadelphia with Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
