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Tolls for SR 99 tunnel start Saturday

Drivers will start paying tolls in the State Route 99 tunnel on Saturday.

Two weeks ago, the Washington State Department of Transportation said many people still weren't ready.  At that time, state officials said only about 35% of the cars using the tunnel had Good to Go stickers.

With a pass, tolls will range from $1 to $2.25 per trip, depending on the time of day.

Without a pass, drivers will pay $2 more per trip after toll sensors read their license plate and send a bill in the mail.

Drivers will need to set up an account.

It can be done online, which state officials recommend because they expect phone lines to be jammed.

WSDOT projects around 35 percent of tunnel drivers will avoid tolls in the tunnel and jam downtown streets instead.

Something similar happened when tolls began on the 520 bridge in 2011, when traffic on that freeway dropped 40%.

It took about a year for traffic levels to come back.

For more information about Good To Go! passes, click here.

Here’s a breakdown of the toll prices:

Tolls for the SR 99 Tunnel

MONDAY-FRIDAY GOOD TO GO! Pass PAY BY MAIL
6 a.m. to 7 a.m. $1.25 $3.25
7 a.m. to 9 a.m. $1.50  $3.50
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. $1.25 $3.25
3 p.m. to 6 p.m. $2.25 $4.25
6 p.m. to 11 p.m. $1.25 $3.25
11 p.m. to 6 a.m. $1.00 $3.00
WEEKENDS GOOD TO GO! PASS PAY BY MAIL
All day $1.00 $3.00

Will you change your commute when the tolls go into effect? A. Yes. B. No. C. It depends. D. I don’t drive there. E. Enter your own answer.

Posted by KIRO 7 News on Thursday, October 24, 2019

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