Get ready—tolling on the new SR 509 expressway begins Monday

Your free taste of the new State Route 509 (SR 509) expressway is about to end. Tolling on the first segment of the road begins Monday morning.

The new SR 509 expressway opened in late June. It is the first mile of the new expressway, connecting I-5 to 24th Avenue South in SeaTac. Eventually, the expressway will go all the way to 188th Street, connecting with where SR 509 ends today, near the southwest corner of the airport.

About 17,000 vehicles a day use the new road every weekday.

“Definitely people are using it,” Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) spokesperson Lauren McLaughlin said. “They’re checking it out. We’ve heard from some people that it’s a nice little quick jump right off I-5 to their house or to their community. So there’s definitely some fans of it.”

But will that change on Monday? That’s when tolling on this road begins.

“As with any toll facility, there’s always some people who are excited to use it but aren’t going to use it when it’s tolled,” McLaughlin said.

Toll pricing on the SR 509 expressway

The tolls will run from $1.20 to $2.40, with a Good to Go pass, depending on the time of day and the direction of travel. This is somewhat unique for the state’s tolled facilities. The max $2.40 toll will only be charged northbound during the morning commute and only charged southbound in the afternoon commute. That matches the expected usage on the road.

There is no HOV availability on this new toll road. Everyone will pay the toll. The price also goes up depending on how many axles you have. You will pay more if you’re driving a big rig or towing a trailer. You will need a sticker pass to use the corridor. If you don’t, you will be charged an extra $2.

McLaughlin said WSDOT is offering a limited number of free passes.

“We do have a limited supply, and it’s one per household,” she said. “If you have multiple cars, you have to pick your favorite one, or purchase others, but you do get one for free.”

A sticker pass costs $5, plus tax. You can pick one up at many local stores, but you shouldn’t wait to open an account.

“People always kind of wait till that last minute to open an account or buy a pass,” McLaughlin said. “It will be a little busy at our customer service center in that first week or so. If you have time to prepare now, I’d encourage you to do it, but also be a little patient, as everyone rushes to get that taken care of on the first day.”

I drove the new expressway several times yesterday, and it is a little odd. There is no access to SR 509 from southbound I-5, and there is no access to northbound I-5 from SR 509. Keep that in mind if you plan on using it.

Tolling begins in time for the morning commute on Monday. The rest of the expressway is expected to open in 2028.

Chris Sullivan is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here. Follow KIRO Newsradio traffic on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully