The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is letting commuters know that they have goofed again – once the Highway 99 viaduct project is finally completed, it will be more expensive to use than WSDOT originally promised.
In 2014, WSDOT said tolls would reach $1.25 for peak times. Now that figure has bee doubled.
According to WSDOT bureaucrat Patty Rubstello, new estimates indicate tolls could reach $2.50 during peak hours. MyNorthwest.com:
The 2014 recommendation was based on outdated traffic data from 2006, Rubstello said…
While the rates will likely be higher than previously thought, Rubstello pointed out they’ll be much lower than what drivers pay along State Route 520 and I-405.
Ultimately, the state Transportation Commission will decide the toll rates for the tunnel — the objective of the tolls would be to pay for the project (over-budget expenses and all).
It’s interesting to note that WSDOT is, once again, making excuses for its failures — something the agency all too often does to explain its incompetence.
