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Tolling the SR 509 and SR 167 expressways

Planning study news

The Puget Sound Gateway Program manages the SR 509 Completion Project in King County and the SR 167 Completion Project in Pierce County, which completes two major unfinished highways in the Puget Sound region. These projects close crucial gaps in Washington state's highway and freight network, create important new connections to the region's ports, improve the movement of freight, and reduce congestion on local roads and highways. Prior to construction, the Washington State Legislature directed WSDOT to toll the new sections of SR 509 and SR 167 to help pay construction and maintenance costs. WSDOT conducted toll feasibility studies and worked closely with stakeholders from nearby cities and jurisdictions, the ports, the Puget Sound Regional Council and the Federal Highway Administration to evaluate several options.

Timeline
2009 - 2013
Status
Complete
Budget
$2.38 billion funds both the SR 509 Completion Project and the SR 167 Completion Project

Purpose

At the request of the Washington State Legislature, WSDOT prepared toll feasibility studies for SR 167 and SR 509 to examine tolling and construction options for the new SR 167 and SR 509 corridors. The studies provided insights into:

  • Potential funding and corresponding financial capacity that can be generated from variable tolling to fund the extension projects. 
  • How variable tolling might reduce the traffic demand, and consequently the number of new lanes needed within the corridors and affected areas.
  • Construction options to move forward with the Puget Sound Gateway Program (which combined the SR 509 and SR 167 completion projects).

 

The future extensions of SR 509 in King County and SR 167 in Pierce County will be electronically tolled (no tollbooths). Only the new segment of road (called an expressway) will be tolled. The Washington State Transportation Commission will start the toll rate-setting process closer to expressway openings.

Tolling the new highways

In 2009, prior to combining the SR 509 and SR 167 completion projects under the Puget Sound Gateway Program, the Washington State Legislature directed the Washington State Department of Transportation to study the feasibility of tolling the new segments of highway (called expressways) to help finance construction. These studies helped determine how the SR 509 and SR 167 corridor completions projects would be funded and phased:  

These studies helped guide an implementation plan to move the Gateway Program forward. Learn more from the 2013 Gateway Funding and Phasing Report (PDF 1.84MB)

Puget Sound Gateway Funding

The SR 167 Completion Project in Pierce County, and the SR 509 Completion Project in King County are jointly funded and managed under the Puget Sound Gateway Program.