SR 99 Tolling Won't Start Until Fall, WSDOT Says

SEATTLE, WA — State transportation officials have pushed back the date for tolling to begin inside the new SR 99 tunnel under Seattle. Tolls were supposed to go into effect sometime this summer, but now WSDOT says it won't be until fall.

The tunnel has been open for about four months, and WSDOT has been trying to prepare drivers for the start of tolling — in fact, WSDOT began giving out free Good To Go! stickers in May.

The reason for the delay is in part due to the state's new tolling vendor, ETAN. The company has missed deadlines for taking over the state's toll infrastructure, which includes other tolled highways like SR 520 and high-occupancy lanes.

Although WSDOT says tolling will begin this fall, there's no exact date yet. When tolling begins, it will cost between $1 and $2.25 depending on the time of day. But that's for drivers with a Good To Go! pass. Without one, drivers will pay an extra $2. Toll rates will increase by about 3 percent beginning in July 2022, WSDOT says.

The tolls will go toward paying back about $200 million in construction bonds. The entire project cost $3.3 billion, which includes viaduct demolition, waterfront construction, and more. A 2005 gas tax increase will pay for the bulk of the project, about $1.6 billion.