BOTHELL — Along with three rows of “$10.00” in lights, Interstate 405 drivers on a crowded morning can see what looks like moss growing on the white signs above.
Those green edges underscore how the maximum tolls haven’t changed since 2015, when the Washington State Department of Transportation opened its express toll lanes between Lynnwood and Bellevue, mainly as a congestion management tool. Pay up, and you can enter a faster lane.
Prices will finally change March 1, when the state raises the highest toll to $15, on I-405 and Highway 167 between Renton and Auburn. Under dynamic pricing next month, the toll rate changes at a minimum of $1 as often as every five minutes.
WSDOT is making the change for two reasons. Higher maximum tolls are meant to deter some drivers from entering, officials say, so the toll lanes nearly always flow at 45 mph. Second, the state needs more money to keep up with national construction inflation.
