Total cost of 99 tunnel tolls is nearly a billion dollars

SEATTLE — It's been generally known that the Legislature is requiring Seattle drivers to pay $200 million in tolls to cover part of the tunnel construction costs, but the tolls also are required to cover much more.

We sat down with Assistant Transportation Secretary Patty Rubstello and her team for an explanation of how the costs add up.

"There's also some other components to that including the operations and maintenance of that tunnel as well as the toll collection system and actual collection of those tolls," she said.

As mandated by the Legislature, here's what the tunnel tolls are required to pay for:

•    $200 million in construction costs
•    $129 million in interest on the bonds over 27 years.
•    $170 million in routine tunnel maintenance costs.

Plus, just collecting the toll is the biggest single expense, $496 million. Total cost from tolls: $995 million over the 27-year life of the bonds.

They'll use the same system now used to collect tolls on the 520 bridge. 

"Recently what we've seen is it's about 53 cents is what it costs to collect the tolls," Rubstello said. "That covers everything from customer service, people answering the phones processing mail, getting transponders out as well as the toll collecting system that's out on the roadway."

If not tolls, drivers would likely have to pay another way.

"Whether it's toll revenue or gas tax we need the funds to be able to cover those expenditures."

The tolls for the tunnel haven't been set. The current scenario calls for tolls between $1 and $2.25.

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