State hastens efforts to relieve I-405 traffic congestion
Aug 11, 2016, 6:36 AM
Signs, such as the one pictured here, will be used to tell drivers when they can drive on the shoulder on I-405. (WSDOT)
(WSDOT)
The state is speeding up a project to ease congestion for I-405 commuters.
Governor Jay Inslee announced there’s a project in the works to open the right shoulder between Highway 527 in Bothell north to I-5 to all vehicles.
Inslee says it’ll be done next summer, rather than in early 2018.
“We’ve been able to do this six months earlier because we were able to achieve a bi-partisan consensus to move dollars fro the tolling revenues to get this job done.”
The project could cost up to $11.5 million. It will be paid for by the revenue generated from the toll lanes — about $10 million since they opened last year.
Dori: Gov. Inslee requests changes to I-405 express toll lanes
The state Department of Transportation expects the approximate 1.8-mile shoulder lane to open every day between 3 and 7 P.M. or when congestion is especially bad.
Though the state expects the extra lane to help clear out “much” of the congestion drivers are still experiencing on I-405, it won’t eliminate all congestion. And because vehicles will be traveling faster toward the I-5/I-405 interchange, the state says drivers could see more congestion there.
The state will use lane control signs to let drivers know when shoulder driving is OK.
Drivers began experiencing more congestion on I-405 as they traveled north after the state added a new lane and launched express toll lanes between Bellevue to Bothell. Though traffic along that section of I-405 has seen improved drive times, the bottleneck near Bothell is causing “significant congestion,” according to the state. The approximate 1,000 vehicles an hour merging onto those lanes from SR 527 doesn’t help either.
The long-term plan for I-405 calls for rebuilding the SR 522 interchange and adding more lanes to create dual express a toll lane system that extends to I-5.
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