Tolls coming to the 520 floating bridge
April 28, 2009 · 2:07 PM
Get ready for tolls on the State Route 520 floating bridge sooner rather that later.
Both the House and Senate have passed legislation to put tolls on the existing ridge to raise money to replace the span.
The bill now is in the hands of Gov. Chris Gregoire, who has said she will sign the legislation.
The House passed the measure 52-43 on Saturday, April 25. The Senate passed the legislation earlier.
The measure - House Bill 2211 - will turn the tolling decision over to the state Transportation Commission to decide when to beginning collecting the tolls and how much they will be.
The state wants to replace the 520 bridge because state engineers say it is unsafe and could sink in the event of a earthquake or a strong storm.
The bill also calls for creating a study group to develop a finance plan for the project and sets the cost at $4.65 billion. It also requires the study group to look at design options for the east and west sides of the bridge.
Yet to be decided by the state is what to do on the west side of the span. Option K, that includes a tunnel under the Montlake Cut, isn't mentioned in the legislation but the idea could be considered. The option deals with moving traffic between the freeway and the University of Washington.
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