WSDOT Says 520 Tolling Still Set for December, Weekend Bridge Closure Canceled

The State Route 520 Bridge still is slated to become a toll road sometime this month, a Washington State Department of Transportation official told Patch last week, adding that an announcement on the specific date was expected soon.

State Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond told the business owners at a Bellevue Downtown Association meeting that the date would probably be announced early next week.

WSDOT spokeswoman Janet Matkin said there would be plenty of warning before the tolls are instated but that the state and the vendor handling the tolling still are in the testing stages of the all-electronic payment system.

Testing issues with the tolling system have delayed the tolls, . It was pushed to , and then to , and then most recently to .

Instead of toll booths, the tolls will be paid through , a system that uses electronic transponders attached to vehicles to debit motorists' accounts. Vehicles that don't have the transponders will have photos taken of their license plate and then will be billed through the mail, Matkin said.

The toll schedule includes a $3.50-peak hour toll in both ways, but the toll will varies depending on the hour, so it will be less than that at non-peak hour times. Drivers without a Good to Go account will pay a $1.50 fee every time they cross the bridge, according to the state.

Matkin encouraged drivers to obtain a Good to Go Pass before the tolls start.

Commuters can purchase the transponders at any , ,  and , or set up an account online at mygoodtogo.com

"We encourage people to do that now, because there will be a rush when the date is announced," Matkin said.

Meanwhile, this weekend’s planned nighttime construction closures of the State Route 520 floating bridge and highway have been canceled and will be rescheduled.

 the nights of Dec. 3 and 4 to install girders at Evergreen Point Road and 92nd Avenue Northeast. WSDOT said it will work with the contractor, Eastside Corridor Constructors, to reschedule the planned construction to minimize effects on weekend holiday traffic.