Drive the Highway 99 tunnel? It’ll cost you a bit more starting Tuesday

As explained by the state Transportation Commission, which sets rates for charges such as ferry fares and highway tolls, you’ll pay a bit more to use the Highway 99 tunnel starting Tuesday:

When toll rates were initially set on the SR 99 tunnel in 2018, the Commission included a plan for 3% toll rate increases to take effect every three years, subject to review and possible adjustment by the Commission (WAC 468-270-073 & WAC 468-270-040). The purpose of these planned toll rate increases is to manage ongoing cost inflation and ensure the facility generated the necessary revenue to meet legal requirements.

On May 13, 2025, the Commission approved the next 3% toll rate increase, which will take effect on July 1, 2025.

As summarized here, “Tolls will increase by 5 cents during off-peak and morning hours. Toll rates will increase by 10 cents during evening peak hours.” You can see the current and new rates in tables on this page. Again, the changes kick in on Tuesday (July 1).

Admiral-2009 June 27, 2025 (6:44 pm)

In exchange for paying a toll I expect to travel at or near the speed limit, paying a toll to be in stop and go traffic is not acceptable to me.

Derp June 27, 2025 (9:17 pm)

Ok, but that time is on a Tuesday at 11:45am.
Nolan June 27, 2025 (9:55 pm)

What would you change, then?
- Canton June 28, 2025 (7:52 am)
  
  The short sided Amazon exit…
Daniel June 28, 2025 (12:35 am)

Never seen stop and go traffic thru the tunnel.. always quick
bill June 28, 2025 (5:54 am)

Since drivers usually go more than 10 mph over the speed limit in the tunnel I do not see the problem.
JumboJim June 28, 2025 (8:17 am)

So if you don’t get what you expect you’re welcome to take a different route. It’s not an HOV, traffic-shifting toll. It’s a toll to pay for the work that was done.

Kt June 27, 2025 (7:58 pm)

Well worth every penny to bypass I-5 when you are heading north.

New Deal June 27, 2025 (9:56 pm)

You used to be able to bypass I-5 for free. When you charge and discourage lower income people you get your Lexus lanes / tunnels. Good for you.
- Kt June 28, 2025 (5:57 am)
  
  I drive a 15 year old non luxury car. And if the democrats in the state would stop giving corporations tax breaks, there would be enough money to have free highways, but sadly they don’t want to upset their corporate donors.
- Anne June 28, 2025 (7:24 am)
  
  Really tired of that particular argument.
- Jmk June 28, 2025 (7:31 am)
  
  You can still bypass I-5 for free 😳
- anonyme June 28, 2025 (8:54 am)
  
  Except for the fact that a huge percentage of luxury vehicles eschew front license plates as required by law – so they pay nada. Unless the cameras are reading rear plates as well.
  - WS Res June 28, 2025 (9:48 am)
    
    “A huge percentage” – what percentage exactly? What’s your source for that claim?
    - anonyme June 28, 2025 (12:02 pm)
      
      Why do you need an exact percentage? Hmmm…you’re not one of these scofflaws by any chance, are you? If not, I can’t imagine why you’d be so concerned about someone pointing out the problem of drivers of luxury cars not paying their fair share. Google will tell you plenty, if you actually want to know vs. just being annoyed at being called out – as well as the top offender, which also just happens to be an EV.
    - WS Res June 29, 2025 (7:04 pm)
      
      I like for people who make claims to back them up with facts, is why I asked.
  - Admiralres June 29, 2025 (10:21 am)
    
    We’ve never had a problem with it charging our Good to Go account using only our back plates.

K June 28, 2025 (12:57 am)

The tolls are the compromise for having central and eastern Washington pay for a few miles of road they will most likely never use. If the people using the tunnel were the only ones paying for it, you’d be paying a lot more than 10 cents.

Kt June 28, 2025 (5:58 am)

Well said
nothend June 28, 2025 (9:04 am)

WSDOT North Spokane Corridor Project: $1.7 billion, will be free to all

WSDOT 99 Tunnel Project: $2.0 billion, will be paid for by users
- Charles Burlingame June 28, 2025 (9:15 am)
  
  Great point – neither one of them should have happened.
  - Burgerman June 29, 2025 (11:41 am)
    
    Charles – incorrect. Both were and are needed. Spokane needs the North Spokane connector and has needed it for decades. Slogging up Division/Highway 395 from light to light for miles is annoying, unnecessary, dangerous, and extremely polluting. People coming from North of Spokane and North Spokane needing to access I-90 should have a fast and limited access route to do so.
    - Nolan July 1, 2025 (12:58 pm)
      
      And, as we all know, more lanes make traffic faster.
- Eric1 June 28, 2025 (12:09 pm)
  
  lol. The entirety of eastern Washington in a tax suck on the Washington economy. Fewer people in western Washington drive on non-interstates in eastern Washington than the other way around. Just like red states think they subsidize blue ones I can only wish that eastern Washington would “go independent”. I also always laugh at the “greater Idaho” plans. Please, Idaho, take those counties. https://images.app.goo.gl/TdERB
  - New Deal June 28, 2025 (2:28 pm)
    
    Now we are talking. I love this! I wouldn’t want Idaho to get more electoral college votes though.
  - K June 28, 2025 (4:32 pm)
    
    Yes, Eastern Washington is a mess, but in exchange for paying for basically everything over there, they do grow, like, all of the country’s hops so we can have beer. So I think we should at least be nice enough to them that they still share the hops.
- k June 29, 2025 (9:24 am)
  
  The North Spokane Corridor project is, in large part, to help move freight which benefits everyone. The tunnel has restrictions on what can be transported through it. SR99 isn’t a freight path, it doesn’t connect to the Port and it’s less efficient than 1-5 for moving goods withing and outside the region. The tunnel is for Seattleites travelling locally.
  - nothend June 29, 2025 (4:48 pm)
    
    Yep, lots of freight to and from Deer Park that I’m sure benefits everyone.

Sorry, comment time is over.