SR 520 tolls going up again; I-90 tolls on hold

Tolls are going up again on the SR 520 bridge, but drivers won’t have to worry about tolls on the Interstate 90 floating bridge until at least late 2015, according to the Washington State Transportation Commission.

SR 520 tolls will increase 2.5 percent on July 1, Reema Griffith, Executive Director of the Washington State Transportation Commission, tells KING 5. The commission has permission to raise the tolls that much every year, but they won’t go up higher than that this year.

Weekday tolls are currently $1.70 to $3.70 each way, depending on time of day, for drivers with a Good to Go! pass. Other drivers who mail in their tolls are charged between $3.25 and $5.25.

State lawmakers, the Washington State Department of Transportation and other officials continue seeking ways to cover a $170 million shortfall for the new SR 520 bridge caused by pontoon construction issues.

The state continues considering tolling on I-90 as well, but Griffith says that won’t happen for at least the next year-and-a-half.

There’s been widespread opposition to tolling I-90, especially by Mercer Island residents who’ve complained about being unfairly tolled to pay for 520.

WSDOT is currently conducting an environmental impact study on the effects of tolling. The tolls would also need to be approved by state lawmakers and the federal government.

KING 5 report tolls for the new SR will likely be $1.25 tolls at peak times and $1 the rest of the day, and be charged 24-hours-a-day.