SEATTLE — In the three months the Interstate 405 express toll lanes have been open the state has collected more than triple the money expected.
The Seattle Times reports that between the Sept. 27 grand opening and the end of 2015, toll payers spent $3.7 million, compared to the $1 million predicted, in the corridor between Lynnwood and Bellevue.
The added money is expected to speed up the state’s plans to help expand congested areas of the highway. State law required proceeds from the tolls to be reinvested in I-405.
The toll lanes allow drivers to pay a premium to get off crowded roads and enter the bus-carpool lane. Tolls vary based on congestion. State data shows about 17 percent of peak-time toll payers spent more than $4.
