The 2009 I-405/SR 167 Executive Advisory Group selected Option 4, shown above (click for larger version), as a viable option for improving the I-405 corridor. This option adds express toll lanes between Renton and Lynnwood.
Express toll lanes on I-405 from downtown Bellevue to Lynnwood are under construction (click for larger version of map). Funding gaps still exist in southern portions of the corridor. |
Overview
The Eastside Corridor is the only north-south freeway alternative to I-5 in the Puget Sound region. It is made up of sections of Snohomish, King and Pierce counties, stretching down I-405 and SR 167 to SR 512.
WSDOT has looked at a range of options for transportation improvement to address the projected increase in population and employment along this corridor. Successful examples are the I-405 Corridor Master Plan (2002) and the SR 167 Valley Freeway Plan (2009). Both plans acknowledge the importance of connecting I-405 and SR 167 to form a seamless corridor, and together they form the basis for the I-405/SR 167 Corridor vision.
The I-405/SR 167 Corridor vision includes new highway lanes, improved interchanges, express toll lanes, expanded transit service including bus rapid transit (BRT) and expanded vanpool programs. Other features, such as the SR 167 Express Toll Lanes Pilot Project and SR 167 extension in Pierce County, will connect the entire corridor with a system better equipped to manage traffic demands in the future. The first phase of I-405 express toll lanes is currently being constructed in the 17-mile stretch between NE 6th Street in Bellevue and I-5 in Lynnwood, with a planned opening date of late 2015.
What's next?
Beginning in January 2013, WSDOT will once again engage the I-405/SR 167 Executive Advisory Group (EAG) to gain guidance and reach consensus on a number of critical policy and financing matters related to the I-405 Express Toll Lanes project. EAG members include state and local elected officials, and representatives from federal and regional transit agencies.
The EAG has been advising WSDOT on the I-405 Corridor improvements since 1999. In 2010, members of the EAG signed an interest statement supporting the implementation of express toll lanes on I-405, which would connect with the express toll lanes on SR 167.
The EAG will hold four working meetings in the first half of 2013.
Meeting #2
Wednesday, February 27, 10 a.m. to noon
Kirkland City Hall, Peter Kirk Room
123 Fifth Avenue, Kirkland, WA 98033
Meeting materials coming soon
Meeting #1
Thursday, January 24 at Bellevue City Hall
Meeting Agenda (PDF)
Presentation (PDF)
Summary (PDF)
What are express toll lanes?
Express toll lanes are carpool (HOV) lanes that also allow vehicles not meeting the occupancy requirement to use the lanes by paying a toll. Similar to on SR 167 today, the express toll lanes on I-405 will operate as an expressway within a freeway, with limited access to specific entry and exit points. Dynamic tolls, or tolls that fluctuate based on available capacity in the lane, will help manage the number of vehicles in the lanes. Express toll lanes allow toll-free trips for transit and vanpools.
Why are express toll lanes being built?
Commuters on I-405 experience heavy traffic for up to eight hours each day. Addressing this congestion is a top priority in the state's 10-year transportation plan, Moving Washington. Express toll lanes would maximize highway efficiency while raising revenue for future improvements.
What are the benefits of express toll lanes?
Express toll lanes:
- Operate efficiently, moving more people and offering a more reliable trip.
- Manage demand to improve speed and reliability.
- Strategically add capacity to increase throughput.
- Reduce congestion, improving mobility for transit, freight, and drivers in all lanes.
- Generate revenue by charging a user fee for non-carpool vehicles to use the express toll lanes. Revenue could help fund future corridor improvements, such as on I-405 from Renton to Bellevue and at the SR 167/I-405 interchange.
Public Information Contact:
Amy Danberg
I-405/SR 167 Corridor Program
amy.danberg-consultant@i405.wsdot.wa.gov
600 - 108th Avenue NE
Suite 405
Bellevue, WA 98004
425-456-8566
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