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Sound drivers are finally going to get a direct route into the Seattle International Airport from Interstate 5 (I-5), but you are going to have to pay a toll to use it.

People from Tacoma and Olympia will no longer have to drive all the way up to Southcenter, then head into the airport via State Route 518. A direct State Route 509 (SR 509) Expressway is set to open in October, connecting I-5 to Burien. That’s what all the construction near I-5 and the Kent Des-Moines Road has been about the last few years.

But this direct route will be tolled. The Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) is out with its toll recommendations for the corridor.

The rates would range between $1.20 and $2.40 depending on time of day, much like we see on State Route 99 tunnel and State Route 520,” WSTC Deputy Director Carl See said. “There’s set rates for different times of the day.”

But for the first time in state tolling history, the max tolls will be directional. See said drivers will only pay that $2.40 max going northbound in the morning or going southbound in the afternoon.

“It’s something that showed up in the analysis as being distinct on these facilities,” See said. “We carried it forward in the rate-setting process to incorporate that variability by direction.”

I asked See if he was concerned that the public doesn’t really know that this new expressway will be tolled. He said that’s why the commission plans to adopt the final rates in June.

“This will provide that time for WSDOT to do the communications and marketing necessary to prepare the public for not just that toll rates are coming but what they will be and how to use the facility,” See said.

The public’s opportunity to provide feedback

The public has a chance to give the commission some feedback on the rates and the future of tolling. There are next week, and an is up right now.

The commission is considering whether vehicles with three or more axles should pay more on this SR 509 Expressway to the airport and whether a low-income toll option should be included. You can provide feedback on those ideas as well.

“That feeds into this process where we really dial up the public input opportunities and hone in on those options to see what are viable for going forward,” See said.

This toll-setting process also involves the direct connection between I-5 and the Port of Tacoma, which is part of the State Route 167 expansion. It’s not set to open until December 2026. These projects make up what’s called the , which will eventually connect I-5 and Puyallup.

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