Toll of $1 recommended for Seattle tunnel

When the currently stalled Highway 99 tunnel project in Seattle is completed, drivers should pay at least a $1 toll and $1.25 for peak times in rush hour. That’s the recommendation Wednesday from an advisory committee.

Advisory committee co-chair Mawd Daudon tells KING 5 they tried to find the “sweet spot” for the toll that would keep 80 percent of drivers on the highway in peak times without diverting to downtown streets.

The toll is needed to help pay for the new tunnel. The most recent update from the Washington State Department of Transportation on tunnel drilling progress said it could take “months” for tunneling to resume.

The tunnel-drilling machine called Bertha has been stalled since the first week of December. It’s completed about 1,000 feet of a 1.7 mile tunnel to carry Highway 99 traffic.

The department and its contractor expect to learn by the end of the month what it will take to repair damaged seals, the problem causing the delay. When they know how long it will take to make repairs, they’ll come out with a new schedule.

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, program Deputy Administrator Matt Preedy said they do know it will likely be months before Bertha is digging again.
Preedy says there are no plans to scrap the tunnel and it’s the “most expedient way” to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.