Nearly half a million vehicles using new SR 99 tunnel weekly

SEATTLE — The Washington State Department of Transportation announced Friday that more drivers are using the State Route 99 tunnel since it opened almost two months ago during a snowstorm, which caused low driver usage.

WSDOT said the snow, combined with the final SR 99 off-ramp construction, made it difficult to know what traffic flow would look like.

Now that the snow has disappeared and WSDOT has a few more weeks under its belt, tunnel use has increased to almost 500,000 trips each week and more than 70,000 trips daily. The busiest days are Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

When it comes to comparing traffic on the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which is being torn down, to the new tunnel, officials said it is not an “apples-to-apples” comparison because the ramps are in different locations.

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Data collected by WSDOT for vehicles going from Seneca Street to Western Avenue suggested that traffic in the tunnel was the same as the Alaskan Way Viaduct during peak travel times.

One difference between the Viaduct and the tunnel will be tolling, which is expected to begin in late summer.

To get the lowest possible toll rate, drivers will need a Good To Go! Pass, officials said. Rates will range from $1 to $2.25 depending on the time of day.

People may also score a free sticker pass for the SR 99 Tunnel, as WSDOT said it will be giving away free passes in the coming weeks. To find out when that will happen, people will need to sign up for email notifications.

WSDOT said they expect to see a decline in tunnel usage after tolling begins, but also expect to see a gradual increase over time.

The new Alaskan Way is expected to be completed in 2021.

Cox Media Group