WSDOT misinterprets big rig law on I-405

Even the Washington State Department of Transportation can be a little confused by the new I-405 express toll lanes.

There are a lot of moving parts with this new system, and as the first week of commuting comes to an end we’re all figuring out the nuances.

Earlier this week, I responded to several truck drivers who wondered if they could drive their big rigs in the new lanes. I posed that question to WSDOT and was told that big rigs are not allowed if their gross weight is more than 10,000 pounds.

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It turns out that is not correct. Under current law, there is no restriction for big rigs in an express toll system. WSDOT assumed that because the toll lanes replaced the HOV lane, that the same restrictions for HOV lanes would apply. They do not.

Here is one of the emails I received from WSDOT:

“We made the assumption that since the [express toll lanes] replaced the HOV lanes, that the weight restriction would apply. But, since these are not HOV lanes, we’ll need to make changes to the current law before we can enforce the no 10,000 lbs rule.”

WSDOT also sent me this note to further explain:

“Vehicles over 10,000 [gross vehicle weight] can drive in the express toll lanes for now. However, WSDOT is actively working to change that rule, and drivers of large vehicles can expect changes in the near future. Background: State law prohibits vehicles over 10,000 [gross vehicle weight] in the HOV lanes. We had originally thought express toll lanes would be under the same restriction since the express toll lanes replaced HOV lanes. However, this is not enforceable under current law.”

So truck drivers, you can enjoy the toll lanes, for now.