Kansas has entered the express lane era. The state’s first managed express lane facility, the 69Express Lanes, opened on February 21, 2026, powered by an integrated tolling and dynamic pricing system from TransCore. The project is a collaboration with the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) and brings all-electronic, open road tolling to the US-69 corridor in Overland Park.
The deployment features TransCore’s Roadside Toll Collection System (RTCS), which uses UHF RFID transponder reads and Single-Angle License Plate Recognition (SALPR) cameras to identify vehicles at highway speeds without the need for toll booths or barriers. Radar detection systems monitor traffic flow in real time, feeding data into the dynamic pricing engine that adjusts toll rates based on congestion levels across both express and general-purpose lanes. The goal is straightforward: keep the express lanes moving at reliable speeds while maximizing throughput across the entire corridor.
The 69Express Lanes are divided into two dynamically priced segments in each direction. Toll rates rise and fall throughout the day, responding to actual traffic volumes rather than following a fixed schedule. Dynamic message signs display current pricing to drivers before they commit to entering the express lanes, while closed-circuit television systems provide visual monitoring for incident management and enforcement.
Bruce Meisch, KTA’s Director of Technology, said the system improves both Kansas transportation and quality of life for Overland Park residents. TransCore President and CEO Whitt Hall called the deployment a significant milestone for Kansas, noting it reinforces a decades-long partnership between the two organizations.
TransCore’s role extends well beyond the initial deployment. The company will provide ongoing image review services for video-based toll transactions, handling cases where a vehicle passes through without a valid RFID transponder read and must be identified by license plate. System maintenance falls under a seven-year base contract, with two optional three-year extensions that could keep TransCore involved through 2039.
The 69Express project highlights how modern RFID-based tolling infrastructure continues to evolve. By combining UHF RFID transponder technology with license plate recognition, radar sensing, and real-time pricing algorithms, TransCore has delivered a system that balances driver choice with corridor performance. For Kansas, it is a first step into managed lanes, and the technology stack is built to scale if the model proves successful on other routes.
Read more at https://transcore.com/transcores-tolling-technology-powers-kansas-69express-lanes.html