8 long years and finally the new State Route 99 tunnel (formerly Alaskan Way Viaduct) will open on Monday February 4th in Seattle. Here's what the tunnel will be like...

Take a ride through the tunnel thanks to KING 5 News


According to information posted on Wikipedia:

The approved design is a four-lane, 2-mile (3.2 km) long bored underground tunnel.[47] The tunnel has a south portal in SoDo, near CenturyLink Field, and a north portal in South Lake Union, east of Seattle Center.[49] The route goes beneath Pioneer Square, the central business district of Downtown, and Belltown.

The project is estimated to cost US$3.29 billion, with $2.8 billion coming from the state and federal governments to cover the tunnel boring and a new interchange in SoDo.

According to WSDOT:

SR 99 Tunnel Tolling

Updates

  • We will be giving away free Good To Go! sticker passes to tunnel users closer to the start of tolling. Sign up for email updates to make sure you don't miss out on any details as they become available.

When will tolling begin?
The tunnel will initially be free to use when it opens, and tolling could start as early as summer 2019 but an exact date hasn't been set.

How much will the tolls be?
Toll rates will range from $1 to $2.25 with a Good To Go! pass depending on time of day.

What is the tunnel route and how many lanes will it have?
The tunnel carries SR 99 beneath downtown Seattle. The south portal is just west of CenturyLink field, while the north portal sits between Seattle Center and South Lake Union, just south of Mercer Street. The tunnel will carry two lanes of SR 99 in each direction, with wider shoulders than those that currently exist on the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

What will be the last exit before a toll is charged?
Drivers who pass through the tunnel will pay a toll. Signs before both tunnel portals (jpg 264 kb) will alert drivers to the approaching tolled-tunnel. At the tunnel’s north end, the final SR 99 off-ramp before the tunnel is at Aurora Avenue and Harrison Street. Approaching from the south, the final northbound off-ramp is at South Dearborn Street.

Why will there be tolls for the SR 99 tunnel?
The Legislature has directed WSDOT to collect tolls in the SR 99 tunnel in order to repay $200 million in construction bonds borrowed to build the tunnel and to fund the ongoing cost of operating and maintaining a safe facility. This funding is part of the $3.3 billion investment to replace the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct and rebuild SR 99 through Seattle.

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