Major transportation projects often require innovative and complex funding solutions. The SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program is no different. This page presents an overview of how much the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program costs, and available funding options and resources.
What are the current program costs?
The latest cost estimates for the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program range between $4.53 and $6.67 billion, depending on which west side design option is chosen. These estimates were developed with WSDOT and a team of independent experts using the Cost Estimate Validation Process® (CEVP) approach. The estimates consider cost, schedule, risks, opportunities and uncertainties. Using CEVP provides more realistic projections of the probable cost and schedule.
| Current estimates |
West side |
Floating bridge |
Pontoon construction site |
Eastside
|
Most likely total corridor
cost |
2008 520 Corridor
with Option A |
$2,022 to 2,298 million |
$1,370 million |
$358 million
|
$776 million |
$4,526 to
4,802 million |
2008 520 Corridor
with Option K |
$4,070 to 4,168 million |
$1,370 million
|
$358 million
|
$776 million
|
$6,574 to
6,672 million |
2008 520 Corridor
with Option L |
$2,562 to 2,642 million |
$1,370 million |
$358 million
|
$776 million |
$5,066 to
5,146 million |
Note: All cost estimates have been adjusted to account for risk and inflation and are shown in year of expenditure dollars. These cost ranges include optional features identified through the west side interchange mediation process.
View the following documents for more detailed information about what elements are included in each option:
What do the estimates for each segment include?
- $776 million for Eastside Transit and HOV Project. Rebuilds corridor from Evergreen Point Road to 108th Avenue NE, including continuous HOV lane, two transit stops, three lids over the roadway, bicycle/pedestrian path, and environmental mitigation. Re-configures HOV lane to SR 202.
- $1.728 billion for pontoon construction and the floating bridge. Includes pontoon construction site, primary and supporting pontoons, and floating bridge road deck.
- Option A includes an interchange in the current location, a second bascule bridge, and a transit-only ramp.
- Option K includes a new interchange below grade east of Montlake Boulevard and a tunnel under the Montlake Cut to connect to Pacific Street.
- Option L includes a new interchange over SR 520 east of Montlake Boulevard and a new bridge crossing over the Montlake Cut to Pacific Street.
Why are there three different cost estimates in 2008?
The cost estimates for the west side of the corridor between I-5 and the floating bridge vary depending on the design option. These design options have been prepared by a mediation panel (pdf 375 kb). Mediation participants began meeting in fall 2007 and have focused on west side interchange options and their effects on neighborhoods, quality of life, traffic and the environment.
Three options remain, Options A, K, and L, and are evaluated further in the December 2008 Project Impact Plan (pdf 6 Mb).
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How will WSDOT fund the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program?
The Washington State Legislature has secured a variety of state and federal funding sources, including tolling the existing floating bridge beginning in 2010, to help pay for the SR 520 program:
|
|
|
| State funding |
|
$0.55 B |
| Transportation Partnership Account |
$0.50 B |
|
| Nickel Package |
$0.05 B |
|
| SR 520 Account (tolling and future federal funding) |
|
$1.20 B |
| Federal funds |
|
$0.24 B |
| Total funding |
|
$1.99 B |
|
|
|
| Program cost |
|
$4.65 B |
| Less sales tax deferral |
$0.30 B |
|
| Program cost after sales tax deferral |
|
$4.35 B |
|
|
|
| Total unfunded need |
|
$2.36 B |
|
|
|
WSDOT has also received an
Urban Partnership grant from the United States Department of Transportation to improve traffic through
tolling,
technology and traffic management,
transit, and
telecommuting.
This grant provides the following:
- Up to $41 million to purchase 45 new buses and other transit improvements along the SR 520 corridor.
- $86 million to develop new traffic management technology, including and traveler information systems to support tolling operations on the SR 520 Bridge.
- Up to $11.6 million to improve state and county ferry service.
SR 520 and tolls
In May 2009, Gov. Gregoire signed ESHB 2211, which authorizes tolling on the SR 520 bridge beginning in 2010. Tolling the SR 520 bridge next year allows WSDOT to secure revenue in order to begin pontoon construction in 2010, which is critical to replacing the SR 520 bridge by 2014.
Previous tolling legislation includes House Bill 1773, which set statewide guidelines for the implementation and use of tolls on state highways, and House Bill 3096, which authorized tolls on SR 520. House Bill 3096 also created a Tolling Implementation Committee to work with the public to evaluate a variety of tolling scenarios.
The Tolling Implementation Committee evaluated tolling for financing the SR 520 Bridge Replacement and HOV Program, engaged citizens and regional leadership in the evaluation, and enhanced understanding of tolling alternatives. The committee hosted a series of public outreach events and input opportunities related to tolling in the SR 520 corridor during summer 2008, and reported to the Governor and Legislature in January 2009.
How will you use tolls on SR 520?
Modern toll-collection technology has made tollbooths a thing of the past. Drivers will pay tolls without stopping, using a vehicle-mounted transponder and electronic overhead readers mounted in roadway structures over each lane. The readers will recognize individual transponders and deduct the toll from the driver’s prepaid account. Cameras equipped with license-plate reading technology could be used to collect tolls from vehicles that are not equipped with transponders.
Transponder technology and license-plate recognizing cameras are currently being used as part of WSDOT’s Good to Go! program to toll the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge.
What if a driver doesn’t have a transponder?
Cameras equipped with license-plate reading technology will be used to collect tolls from vehicles that are not equipped with transponders.
When will you begin tolling the existing SR 520 bridge?
Tolling on the SR 520 bridge across Lake Washington will start as soon as November 2010 and no later than June 2011. WSDOT is currently soliciting bids for the operation of its statewide tolling customer service center. Proposals were due on Sept. 29, 2009. One of the elements of these proposals is the opportunity for vendors to offer a start date between November 2010 and June 2011. The sooner they propose to open, the more incentives they can earn.
This incentivized-approach is consistent with WSDOT’s success in allowing vendors with specific industry experience to accurately determine their ability to deliver a project, while encouraging their innovation. Incentives for early delivery call for $100,000 per week, with a cap of $3 million. There also are liquidated damages of $350,000 per week if they fail to meet the date they propose.
More information on the customer service center RFP can be found at: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Business/Contracts.
What will the SR 520 tolls pay for?
Tolls are collected to cover bond payments associated with construction as well as for ongoing operations and maintenance costs.
How much will I pay in tolls?
It is up to the Washington State Transportation Commission to set the rates, and the Legislature to approve them.
Was the original SR 520 bridge tolled?
Yes, the SR 520 bridge was tolled from the time it was completed in August 1963, until it was paid off in June 1979. The tolls generated approximately $60 million.
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