The I-405 express toll lanes between Bellevue and Lynnwood and the SR 167 High Occupancy Toll Lanes are part of a planned 40-mile corridor that will ultimately extend south to the Pierce County line. This system is designed to provide drivers with an option for a faster, more reliable trip.

Overview

The Eastside Corridor, which stretches down I-405 and SR 167 to SR 512, is the only north-south highway alternative to I-5 in the Puget Sound region.

WSDOT has looked at a range of options for transportation improvements to address the projected increases in population and employment along this corridor. The I-405 Corridor Master Plan and the SR 167 Valley Freeway Plan 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 Master Plan 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, the SR 167 extension in Pierce County and the I-405 express toll lanes 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 opened in September 2015 in the 17-mile stretch between Northeast 6th Street in Bellevue and I-5 in Lynnwood. The second phase of I-405 express toll lanes between Renton and Bellevue is currently in the engineering and environmental review phase. 

Express toll lanes provide a choice

Express toll lanes give drivers the choice to use the carpool lanes by paying a toll. Similar to the SR 167 HOT lanes, express toll lanes operate as an expressway within a highway while allowing toll-free trips for transit and vanpools.

Express toll lanes offer benefits

Express toll lanes better use the existing I-405 highway lanes and provide drivers with a more reliable trip. These lanes use dynamic toll rates, which change based on real-time demand and congestion. The toll you see when you enter the lane is the price you will pay for the trip.

WSDOT is building express toll lanes because they:

• 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:

I-405/SR 167 Corridor Communications
425-456-8504
I405SR167Program@wsdot.wa.gov

The Washington State Department of Transportation is a public agency and is subject to the State of Washington's Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). Therefore, public comments and questions may be made available to anyone requesting them for non-commercial purposes.