Many motorists on the West Virginia Turnpike during the Thanksgiving holiday will likely be experiencing the 60 percent toll increase for the first time.

The state Parkways Authority implemented the increase Aug. 1. Passenger cars now pay $2.00 per tollbooth while commercial traffic forks over $6.75 per booth.

Turnpike Director of Tolls Steve Maynard doesn't believe the new amounts will slow down traffic at the tolls plazas during what is already a very busy time.

Maynard says having a $2.00 toll instead of $1.25 has actually made individual transactions quicker because they don't have to wait for change. "We're seeing that patron pull up and hand over those two dollar bills and it moves traffic a little quicker and we're hoping we'll see that during the Thanksgiving holiday," Maynard said.

Wednesday and Sunday of Thanksgiving are by far the busiest times of the year on the 88-mile toll road. Maynard says it begins Wednesday morning at around 8 o'clock and continues until 1 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The return traffic, going south, begins at roughly 10 a.m. Sunday and continues until around 6 p.m.

"What you're getting in a 16-hour period on Wednesday, we're getting a return in about 8 hours on Sunday," Maynard said. "And that's what makes Sunday such a horrific day as far as traffic is concerned."

Maynard estimates 98 percent of the toll collectors scheduled to work will on those two days. He says it's very difficult to get a day off.

The Turnpike will also be using tandem tollbooths at all three plazas in an attempt to keep traffic flowing.