Drivers using I-405’s express toll lanes can now check costs for the lanes before they leave home, thanks to a new map tool from the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The map tool, located here, allows motorists to view how much it would cost to enter the express toll lanes at any given spot between Bellevue and Lynnwood.
The tool went live on Tuesday, Jan. 12.
The rates are “near real-time,” updated every five minutes. So even if a driver checks just before they get on the road, the rates could change depending on traffic.
The map shows green, yellow and red sections of the road to inform drivers of how bad traffic is, and with that how far the rates spike.
Jennifer Rash, of WSDOT, reminds drivers that even if a number is high in one section of the road, it only depends on when your vehicle enters the express toll lanes.
“You always pay the price you see when you enter and you will only be charged one rate per trip,” she wrote. “The signs may show different rates for different destinations, but you never need to add these rates together. If the rates go up while you are driving, you’ll still pay the original rate you saw when entering the express toll lane.”
The roadway signs will always show the correct toll, she said, despite what the new map tool may say.