information from WSDOT

Drivers using the State Route 99 tunnel will begin paying tolls on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019, the Washington State Department of Transportation announced today.

State law requires that toll revenues from the SR 99 tunnel be used to pay back construction bonds as well as pay to operate and maintain the nation’s largest double-decked road tunnel. The two-mile-long SR 99 tunnel runs underneath downtown Seattle and opened in February 2019.

“While the SR 99 tunnel has been a great success, we expect traffic patterns in Seattle will shift when tolling starts,” said Patty Rubstello, WSDOT assistant secretary of Urban Mobility and Access. “We are giving as much advanced notice as possible to allow drivers plenty of time to get ready, which includes opening up a Good To Go! account.”

A Good To Go! pass gives SR 99 tunnel drivers the lowest toll rates possible - from $1 to $2.25, depending on the time of day. Without a Good To Go! account, those same tolls will cost $2 more for each trip.

The Washington State Transportation Commission set the time-of-day toll ratesfor the SR 99 tunnel in 2018, after years of study and community involvement.

How to get a Good To Go! pass

There are a limited number of free Good To Go! sticker-passes available for SR 99 tunnel users. The best way to get a pass is online at 99tunnel.com. All existing Good To Go! passes will work in the SR 99 tunnel.

Passes can also be purchased at MyGoodToGo.com, select Fred Meyer and QFClocations and at walk-in customer service centers. The Good To Go! call center, 866-936-8246 can help customers, however, we anticipate longer than usual wait times for those calling.

Tolling and the ‘Seattle Squeeze’

Tolling the SR 99 tunnel will mark a new phase in the five-year-long Seattle Squeeze. During this time, an unprecedented number of private and public construction projects adds pressure to the transportation system to and through Seattle.

“All the local transportation agencies are working together to keep people and goods moving safely,” said Heather Marx, the Seattle Department of Transportation’s director of Downtown Mobility. “We encourage travelers to plan ahead, give themselves extra travel time, and continue to shift commute habits to help get us through the next five years.”

WSDOT and SDOT encourage travelers to use the WSDOT tools available to ‘know before you go’ and to use SDOT’s traffic page, which contains useful traffic links locally and regionally.

SR 99 Tunnel Toll Rates

Tolling is expected to start fall 2019. Tolls will be collected in both directions as you exit the tunnel.

Drivers with a Good To Go! pass will pay the lowest toll rate. Drivers who choose to register their license plate on a Good To Go! account without a pass, called Pay By Plate, will pay an extra 25 cents per trip on top of the Good To Go! pass rate. Drivers without a Good To Go!account will pay an extra $2 per trip, called Pay By Mail.

SR 99 tunnel toll rates for two-axle vehicles (includes motorcycles)
Vehicles with more than two axles will pay a higher toll rate based on the number of axles.

Monday through Friday

Good To Go! Pass

Pay By Mail

6 a.m. to 7 a.m.

$1.25

$3.25

7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

$1.50

$3.50

9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

$1.25

$3.25

3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

$2.25

$4.25

6 p.m. to 11 p.m.

$1.25

$3.25

11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

$1.00

$3.00

Weekends

Good To Go! Pass

Pay By Mail

All day

$1.00

$3.00

Weekend rates will be assessed for the following holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Exemptions

Learn more about SR 99 tunnel toll exemptions.

Toll rate setting and process

Beginning in July 2022, there will be toll rate increases of 3 percent every three years, subject to annual review. Toll rates and exemptions are set by the Washington State Transportation Commission. Learn more about toll rate setting process.