Ask anyone who lives in Lake Stevens what it’s like to get onto the trestle during peak hours, and you’ll likely hear a few swear words. It jams up every morning heading westbound and every afternoon eastbound.

It just doesn’t have the capacity to handle all the people that now live east of Interstate 5 (I-5) along Highway 9. The original bridge was built in the 1930s. It served both directions. A new westbound trestle was completed in 1969. The original bridge, which was eastbound, was replaced in 2001. Now it’s time to replace the westbound trestle.

More from Chokepoints: Sound Transit CEO says ‘it’s my job to restore confidence’ in public transit

Study No. 6 is now underway, with a focus on improving the westbound connection to I-5 which cannot handle today’s traffic.

“The number of westbound lanes has limited capacity at the southbound I-5,” Maraea Skeen, a public information officer for WSDOT, said. “What can we do for the potential for managed lanes,  such as HOV, active transportation,  access to downtown Everett and just generally moving people through the corridor.”

The agency wants your feedback on what potential improvements should be.

“We are at the point where we’re we’re evaluating the needs of what the community needs from the trestle,” Skeen added.

We’re so early in the process that there are no definitive replacement plans or drawings. Earlier projections put building a new three-lane westbound trestle at $1-2 billion, with a lot of that money coming from tolls on the corridor. This public input will help WSDOT direct its plans.

“The feedback from this open house will help us to streamline the process into that review, but it will still be several years before construction will take shape,” Skeen said.

More from Chris Sullivan: Seattle’s traffic circles are not roundabouts

I would put the over/under on when something might be built and completed at about 10 years. The environmental review will be lengthy. The trestle goes across Ebey Island, and that includes crossing the Snohomish River, Ebey Slough and Deadwater Slough.

The online open house will take feedback through June 7.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X, formerly known as Twitter. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully

On Saturday, ferry officials put the Samish Ferry out of service, due to a lack of crew members. That affected riders in Anacortes, Lopez Island and Friday Harbor.

The ferry system also canceled four crossings between Port Townsend and Coupeville on Sunday morning due to low tides. Alternate routes are the: Edmonds/Kingston Ferries or the Mukilteo/Clinton Ferries.

🚨#PortTownsend/#Coupeville tidal cancellations this weekend🚨

Saturday, 5/25: No 930a from PT and no 1015a from Coupeville
Sunday, 5/26: No 930a or 11a from PT and no 1015a or 1145a from Coupeville

More: https://t.co/vK6ZiKRkf7 pic.twitter.com/3CloQAsb5K

— Washington State Ferries (@wsferries) May 24, 2024

To stay up to date with cancellations, travelers can sign up for ferry alerts via the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) website. For tidal cancellations specifically, travelers can check the tidal cancellations table on the department’s website.

Ferry schedules can also be found on WSDOT’s website.

Frustrations with Washington ferries

However, the cancellations are just another item on a list of ferry frustrations among travelers.

Inslee: ‘We’re going as fast as humanly possible’ getting ferry boats in the water

Washington State Governor Jay Inslee is pushing to keep electric ferries in the works but critics argue the plans should be abandoned to instead focus on diesel. However, Inslee said that would only slow the process of the new ferries even more.

Inslee argued that switching from the originally planned electric ferries back to diesel-powered ferries would restart the bidding process — delaying everything by a year or two. He also stated diesel technology is no faster to install than electric at this point.

Inslee explained one of the reasons for the delay came from the state’s desire to build the boats domestically. Inslee and his team found a company totally committed to the idea but the company was quickly sold to a hedge fund and the hedge fund pivoted from the particular program regarding constructing ferries in Washington.

Another addition to the ferry fiasco is that the price of a trip will increase. Earlier this month, prices for roundtrips went up nearly $10.

Travel alert: Washington ferry prices have gone up amid wave of riders

Washington State Ferries (WSF) attributed the price increase to keeping up with the influx of spring and summer travelers, according to The Everett Herald. Riders can also expect longer wait times, around an hour or two, as the warmer weather entices people to take trips.

And while prices will go back down after the summer, an overall 4.25% fare increase will start on Oct. 1, according to the Washington State Transportation Commission.

UPDATE: On Tuesday, a WSF spokesperson emailed MyNorthwest about Memorial Day weekend.

Their statement said:

“WSF staff worked hard to ensure as much service as possible over the busy Memorial Day weekend. We adjusted taking boats out of service until Tuesday morning, staged a service relief vessel at Bremerton in case one boat went out of service, and our dispatch team worked hard to cover multiple relief requests. One Anacortes/San Juan Islands roundtrip was canceled Saturday morning due to crewing; no other unplanned sailings were canceled this weekend. And the ‘cancellations’ on the Port Townsend/Coupeville route are planned and alerted events due to the extreme tides at Coupeville. There were no Mukilteo/Clinton cancellations due to tides or any other reason.

I hope you and the traveling public appreciated the hard work of WSF’s vessel crews and terminal staff over the busy weekend.”

Contributing: Tom Brock, KIRO Newsradio; Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email her here.

“We haven’t seen Memorial Day weekend travel numbers like these in almost 20 years,” Paula Twidale, Senior Vice President of AAA Travel, stated.

Going further, road trips are expected to set a record. AAA projects 38.4 million people will travel by car during the Memorial Day weekend, the highest number for that holiday since AAA began tracking in 2000. The number of drivers this year is up 4% compared to last year and 1.9% higher than in 2019.

Traveling by car is appealing for many people because of the convenience and flexibility it provides. But while it may be convenient, many other people throughout the Pacific Northwest will likely have the same idea and get in the car for their trip. That’s going to cause a lot of traffic.

“I say this every year on holiday weekends like Memorial Day and Labor Day. Leave early or leave late. It’s really just that simple,” KIRO Newsradio traffic reporter Chris Sullivan said this week. “If you don’t want to be stuck sucking on the fumes of the cars in front of you, you need to beat them to the road or wait until they’ve already gone through.”

Sullivan also advised listeners to expect issues on the afternoon and some of the major roadways.

“You really don’t want to be on the road late this afternoon, as some people head out early,” Sullivan said. “The worst time to be on the road Friday will be between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The worst roads will be Interstate 90 (I-90) East from North Bend to Ellensburg and Interstate 5 (I-5) south from Tacoma to Olympia.”

Some notes on specific Washington roads

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) released their Memorial Day weekend travel charts and the agency noted that I-5 between Lacey to Tacoma will see some level of congestion all day Sunday before it lets up later in the day. This was after drivers saw congestion in some spots through 7 p.m. Friday and large parts of Saturday too.

The news from WSDOT on I-90 between North Bend and Cle Elum is a bit better. But the travel charts reveal that area will see some level of congestion going west Sunday afternoon before the traffic completely lightens up later in the evening. Going east should be better, but travelers will see some “moderate to heavy traffic” between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday.

Drivers can also expect to see heavy traffic or congestion at various times all weekend on U.S. 2 between Stevens Pass and Skykomish and on I-5 between Bellingham and the U.S.-Canada border. Notably, travelers can expect to see congestion or “moderate to heavy traffic” going west from Stevens Pass to Skyhomish between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. and both directions between Bellingham and the Canadian border Sunday.

Friends don’t let friends travel on Memorial Day weekend without checking the travel charts for I-5, I-90 and US 2: https://t.co/RbRAD9UOUJ pic.twitter.com/lZ6PjKrnAf

— Washington State DOT (@wsdot) May 22, 2024

“The worst day of these three-day weekends is always the ‘get-back’ day on Monday. That’s going to be a grind from about 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” Sullivan said.

Looking at the Washington State Ferries (WSF), more than 350,000 people are expected to use the ferry system over the next four days, Sullivan said. The westbound trips will be jammed through Friday. Coming home eastbound on Monday, you had better be in line early, Sullivan added.

Also causing issues for ferry riders: Low tides. WSF had to cancel sailings Saturday and was forced to cancel several more Sunday. Head here for the latest information.

Expect the airport to be busy

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expected to screen over 365,000 passengers leaving Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac Airport) from through Tuesday. That is a nearly 10% increase from last year, KIRO 7 reported.

Airport officials estimate 760,000 passengers will be departing and arriving at the airport over the holiday.

When fliers take off and which airline they have booked with likely will make a difference for travelers as well.

JW Surety Bonds analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report to identify the best and worst airlines to rely on for fights.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac Airport) has the second most on-time departures during Memorial Day weekend, with 86.1% of all flights departing on time, according to the company’s analysis. Hawaiian Airlines, Alaskan Airlines, and Delta Air Lines are the best airlines to fly during Memorial Day weekend. Meanwhile Virgin Atlantic, Frontier Airlines, and JetBlue Airways are the worst airlines.

The company also reported flights scheduled between 6 and 7 a.m. across various airports tend to have the highest on-time departure performance, with percentages as high as 96.4%. On the other side, afternoon and early evening flights generally have the worst on-time departure performance, with flights between 2-3 p.m. tending to have lower on-time percentages. Some airports drop as low as 64.8% during that time.

Some advice to navigate the airport

In addition to this being a busy travel season, KIRO 7 notes travelers are also having to navigate through all the construction inside the airport which has shut down one of the TSA checkpoints, making lines longer and causing tons of confusion

Sea-Tac Airport spokesperson Peter McGraw told KIRO Newsradio earlier this week that he recommends users check Sea-Tac Airport’s website ahead of time to see what the recommendation is for arriving. A good rule of thumb is to get to the airport two to three hours before the flight is scheduled to depart.

To keep up to date on security waiting times, travelers can download the flySEA app. The app has information about ground transportation, parking, security screening, international travel and more. Head here for a few more tips on getting around Sea-Tac Airport.

More on PNW travel: Why was Sea-Tac Airport so busy last weekend? Will it get worse?

For those people who are heading to the airport, but not to travel, one tip Sullivan brought up during an appearance on KIRO Newsradio’s “The Gee and Ursula Show” Friday was to “think opposite.” The essence of the advice is for drivers who need to do a pickup during a busy period, consider getting people coming in at the departures area and if you need to do a drop off during a busy time, bring those people to the arrivals area.

“It works. It really works,” Sullivan said.

Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; Tom Brock, KIRO Newsradio.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.

Goran Sparrman knows that no one will ride the trains if they don’t feel safe. Sound Transit’s interim CEO told me that has to change.

“I understand why when you read the newspapers or see on the media the kind of unfortunate incidents we’ve had the last three months with two stabbings, one shooting,” he told KIRO Newsradio. “I totally understand why people made that makes people uncomfortable.”

More from Chokepoints: Oversized scissors, shovels used to celebrate I-405 project progress

And it doesn’t matter to riders or concerned potential riders that, overall, the light rail line is safe.

“I will say that our system actually is, relatively speaking, very safe, but what we recognize is that public reception really does matter,” Sparrman said. “When people don’t feel safe, it’s a big concern to us.”

There have been 44 assaults on light rail this year, including the two homicides and an attempted murder. Sound Transit has more than doubled its security force since 2022, and it plans to add more people to that number.

“We have 500 people working on security alone on the Sound Transit system,” Sparrman said. “My job is to make sure we get the maximum bang for the buck on that and frankly restore the confidence that people feel comfortable and safe using our system.”

With the opening of the new starter line between Bellevue and Redmond, riders have noticed a change in security as well. The Bellevue Police Department is patrolling the trains and several stations with six dedicated officers, including a sergeant. In the first month of operations, Bellevue Police report no problems on the trains or stations. The only issue so far was an officer who noticed a rider with an opened container of cannabis. The officer asked the rider to put it away, which he did.

More on Bellevue public transit: Bellevue to have cops on Eastside light rail trains

That has caught Sparrman’s attention. I asked him if we might see other smaller cities follow suit, adding a few dedicated officers in their jurisdictions.

“We are having conversations with other smaller municipalities, and I envision that the conversation with Lynnwood should hopefully bear fruit,” he said.

Light rail will expand into Lynnwood in August so there is still time to hash that out.

Sparrman also said he’s hoping King County will be able to hire more deputies for his transit police, which is not at full staff.

“The budget has staffing of about 80 or so King County sheriff deputies to patrol our system,” Sparrman said. “Unfortunately, they’ve had some recruitment problems, so we only have 40 to 50 on the ground actually working. So I am looking to have a conversation very soon with the King County Sheriff’s office to make sure what can we do to make sure we’ve filled that up so we get our 90 deputies on the trains where we really want them.”

Since I had the chance to speak with Sparrman, I figured I’d ask him how the new 2-Line is doing. So far so good.

“People seem generally really excited about now having light rail transit as an option on the Eastside and, of course, everyone’s very anxious for us to connect line two across the lake to the 1-Line,” he said. “That’s what we’re planning to do by late 2025, so about a year and a half away, and what we’re hearing is a lot of interest in making sure that happens as quickly as possible.”

More from Chris Sullivan: Seattle’s traffic circles are not roundabouts

Sparrman took over for Julie Timm as the head of Sound Transit in January. His term runs through the end of the year.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X, formerly known as Twitter. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully

It was a rare double feature for WSDOT Monday. A ribbon cutting for a project that just opened and a ceremonial turning of dirt to kick off something new.

At the Brickyard Park and Ride just off I-405 at NE 160th Street, WSDOT Secretary Roger Millar officially kicked off a four-year project to widen I-405 from SR 522 to SR 527 in Canyon Park in Bothell.

“This will enhance the corridor by delivering multimodal improvements that will provide benefits to all of the users in the corridor,  addressing aging infrastructure, stuff we built generations ago and opening fish habitat,” Millar said.

The project includes adding another express toll lane to the system and a complete redesign of the I-405/SR 522 interchange. It also adds and elevated transit stop in the middle of the freeway at Canyon Park.

“This project will give new choices to Eastside communities, whether they take transit or bike or roll or walk or drive,” Millar said.

A significant I-405 project in Kirkland

A few miles to the south, Millar broke out those oversized scissors to celebrate the completion of the new on and off ramps from I-405 at NE 132nd Street at the north end of Totem Lake in Kirkland.

Construction started on this project two years ago and wrapped up earlier this month. It includes two new roundabouts on 132nd to help manage the traffic flow and about a half-mile of new fish habitat.

Kirkland Mayor Kelli Curtis told a small crowd this has been a long time coming.

“Today is a big day in Kirkland, she said.  “It’s a big day for our north end neighborhoods of Kingsgate, Totem Lake, Juanita and Finn Hill. It’s a big day for those in emergency needing to get to EvergreenHealth and other medical facilities. And it’s a huge important day for the salmon of Juanita Creek.”

Curtis hit on the most important part of this project: It opens up access to Evergreen Medical Center from the north. Drivers no longer have to go down to 124th Avenue and deal with all the congestion there.

Dr. Ettore Palazzo is Evergreen’s CEO and was clear this move is crucial for those who need to get to the hospital quickly.

“When we do need to get someone quickly to the hospital for those urgent needs being able to have access like this, specially from the north, is so incredibly critical,” he said. “Time very well can save someone’s life.”

The roundabouts do have an interesting feature that might throw you off at first. These are two lane roundabouts that don’t have two lanes all the way around. You must change lanes if you are trying to take a left at the intersection, and that runs counter to normal rules of a roundabout that requires you to stay in your lane.

It got me on my first attempt, getting off I-405 south at the new 132nd offramp. To continue straight across the the Kingsgate Park and Ride, I had to be in the left of the two lanes at the end of the ramp.

As I went around the circle, I had to move over to the right lane in the roundabout to exit where I wanted.

If this had been a traditional two-lane roundabout, I would have started in the right lane and stayed there to make my exit.

It was a little unnerving, but it is legal, in this situation.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully

Airport officials told KIRO Newsradio it could get worse as Memorial Day Weekend approaches.

“Highly recommend utilizing any of the rideshare programs, the light rail is an excellent way of accessing the airport and without having to deal with parking a car or driving,” Sea-Tac Airport spokesperson Peter McGraw told KIRO Newsradio.

He added the volume levels of people traveling are now back to pre-pandemic levels.

Other news: Progress or problem? Seattle’s population keeps growing, but the growth has slowed

McGraw recommends checking Sea-Tac Airport’s website ahead of time to see what the recommendation is for arriving. However, a good rule of thumb is to get to the airport two to three hours before your flight is scheduled to depart.

To keep up to date on security waiting times, travelers can download the flySEA app. The app has information about ground transportation, parking, security screening, international travel and more.

Travelers can also reserve their parking ahead of time online to secure a spot in the airport garage.

Another tip is to use SEA Spot Saver. Visitors can sign up in advance up to five days before their flight or when they arrive at the airport at the ticketing level of the terminal, according to Sea-Tac’s website. Once signed up, travelers can save their spot in the security line. Then at the selected time, head to the assigned checkpoint and look for the SEA Spot Saver logo.

Visitors can also view live Airport Drive cameras, to check on traffic go here.

For all other questions about the airport, visit Port of Seattle’s website.

Contributing: Tom Brock, KIRO Newsradio

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.

The Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team (SMART) said in a statement that just after 4 p.m. Thursday, Washington State Patrol (WSP) responded to a report of a road rage incident on the shoulder of I-5 north near milepost 197. According to the SMART website, members of that law enforcement team are from “various Snohomish County law enforcement agencies and (WSP) who respond to and investigate police use of force incidents.”

The suspect began ramming his vehicle into a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) vehicle and a lift that was on the shoulder of I-5 with two employees onboard, the statement reads.

From there, “an altercation” ensued between the suspect — who was armed with a hammer — WSDOT employees and a WSP trooper, SMART reported. During the incident, the WSP trooper shot the suspect. Members of law enforcement rendered aid to the suspect. But he was pronounced dead at the scene.

During the dispute, a WSDOT employee sustained minor injuries and was treated on the scene, SMART Public Information Officer Courtney O’Keefe told KIRO Newsradio.

The law enforcement agency stated the identity of the suspect will come from the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Video recorded by KOMO News from a WSDOT traffic camera shows some sort of physical confrontation between a driver and, possibly, a construction worker on the side of I-5 ahead of the shooting. O’Keefe did not definitively confirm the video posted and seen widely online is from the altercation that led to the suspect’s death. However, that video may be connected.

“I know detectives are working on getting a copy of that at this time. I can’t confirm for sure that (it’s the video). But it does appear that footage is a clip of what led up to this,” O’Keefe said to KIRO Newsradio late Thursday.

I-5 north in Everett reopens after the officer-involved shooting

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, just before midnight Thursday night that I-5 north reopened after the officer-involved shooting.

CLEARED: NB I-5 at US 2 in Everett has reopened. Thank you for your patience. Continue to expect some delays as traffic clears. https://t.co/kSatPh5mB3

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 17, 2024

Previously, all lanes of I-5 north had been blocked and the left lane of I-5 south near Marine View Drive also was closed. WSDOT first announced the I-5 north blockage on X at 5:05 p.m. Subsequent updates at 6:34 p.m. and 8:49 p.m. provided the same message before announcing the reopening: Travelers and commuters should avoid the area and use alternate routes.

Traffic backed up on State Route 9 in Lake Stevens after Interstate 5 north in Everett was shut down and blocked on Thursday, May 16, 2024. The closure was due to an officer-involved shooting. (Image courtesy of Washington State Department of Transportation/@wsdot_traffic on X)

On Thursday afternoon, before WSDOT began providing traffic updates, WSP Trooper Kelsey Harding wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the freeway was “blocked due to ongoing police activity.”

She also asked “everyone to avoid the area until the incident has been resolved.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

We’ve talked about four-way stops and roundabouts already this year, but I received a question from Michael in Seattle’s Columbia City neighborhood that brought up a similar topic, traffic circles.

More on roundabouts: A course in roundabouts; They are not that hard

Seattle has more than a thousand traffic circles. These are generally neighborhood intersections where the city has installed a barrier in the middle of them that forces people to slow down. In some cases, they are as simple as large planter boxes in the middle of the intersection.

The Seattle Department of Transportation’s (SDOT) Ethan Bergerson said they are a simple way to make intersections safer.

“They’re not new,” Bergerson told KIRO Nesradio. “They’re something that we’ve been using for quite some time because they have a good success record for increasing safety.”

Michael in Columbia City asked me why SDOT recently installed stop signs at several of the traffic circles in his neighborhood. He doesn’t think they’re necessary, claiming they slow things down while most drivers just ignore them.

I asked SDOT’s Bergerson why the stop signs were put in.

“Those particular examples are right by a high school so you’ve got that safety need,” he responded. “It’s also on our neighborhood greenways network, which are neighborhood streets, recommended bike routes and have a lot of pedestrians.”

Traffic circles can include stop signs, though they aren’t required. SDOT added them based on traffic data at each individual one.

“When we’re making safety decisions, we will do that based on things like historical traffic data and the need,” Bergerson said. “This intersection being right in front of a high school is a good reason why you want to make sure cars are coming to a full stop there.”

After analyzing the intersections and thinking of Michael’s question, I hit upon something simple. Michael kept referring to these traffic circles as roundabouts.

The question was really more about the stop signs interfering with the traffic flow in a roundabout. And that’s where the confusion comes in. Traffic circles are not roundabouts. The words are not interchangeable, and the rules for navigating them are different.

More from Chokepoints: Airport expansion in high gear as summer travel approaches

At roundabouts, you yield to traffic already in them and then go. In some cases, if no yield is necessary, you can simply enter.

Traffic circles are like four-way stops. They are considered an uncontrolled intersection. You should come to a complete stop before entering. Whoever gets there first, goes first. If two cars get there at the same time, you yield to the car to the right.

If an intersection has a traffic circle and stop sign, they are considered controlled intersections, and you have to stop.

Hope that clears things up.

Check out more of Chris’ Chokepoints here. You can also follow Chris on X, formerly known as Twitter. Head here to follow KIRO Newsradio Traffic’s profile on X.

Follow @https://twitter.com/newsguysully

Option B is tailored increases, averaging 10% overall, rounded to the nearest 5 cents. To see how toll prices will be affected, view the chart below, keeping in mind the new price will be the Option B Rate Proposal, the last option on the chart, and the rates are for two-axe vehicles with a Good To Go pass:

Officials have voted on Option B to increase SR 520 tolls. (Image courtesy of the Washington State Transportation Commission)

Option A was a uniform 10% increase, rounded to the nearest 5 cents.

Officials heard a proposal by the WSTC before the vote that broke down each rate. To view the proposal presentation, go here.

The tolling subcommittee recommended Option B versus Option A because, as stated by the proposal, it meets the SR 520 Bridge financial requirements, had fewer changes than Option A, is preferred by marginalized communities and maintains capacity for tolls to support traffic management.

According to officials, the tolls aren’t generating enough money to meet the financial obligations of the bonding for the floating bridge construction.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) website stated that tolling on the 520 Bridge helps “manage congestion and is expected to raise $1.2 billion to help pay for the construction, safety and maintenance of the new bridge.”

Sullivan: Airport expansion in high gear as summer travel approaches

Along with rate increases, new tolls are being considered for new sections of SR 167 and SR 509, under what’s called the Puget Sound Gateway Program.

WSDOT’s website explained the Puget Sound Gateway Program as the combination of the SR 509 Completion Project in King County and the SR 167 Completion Project in Pierce County.

The new sections of SR 167 and SR 509 have yet to open but the tolls being considered for the SR 167 expansion, connecting Puyallup and Tacoma, are between $1 and $3. Tolls on the new SR 509 section, which will connect Interstate 5 directly to the Seattle Tacoma-International Airport, could run between $1.20 and $2.40.

However, these are just the first estimates for the expansion roads, which aren’t expected to be completed until 2028 or 2029.

To easily pay a toll and pay less for tolls, Washingtonians can set up a Good To Go account.

Contributing: Chris Sullivan, KIRO Newsradio

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email her here.

The HOV lane and the left general purpose lane are now open at milepost 5, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

8th UPDATE: NB I-405 IN RENTON
NB I-405 2 SR 900/Sunset Blvd/Southport Dr (milepost 5) in #Renton has opened the left general purpose lane.

Continue to expect delays in the area. https://t.co/zCKf3EssyS pic.twitter.com/jkYvQL6Y39

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 14, 2024

More news on highway closures: Brace for delays, Everett Revive I-5 is back

Good morning! Happy Tuesday.

Not so happy start to the morning commute on northbound I-405 in Renton.

We’ve got a truck fire that’s FULLY BLOCKING all lanes near NE Park Drive/SR 900 (around milepost 5). 🔥🚒

Emergency crews are enroute. USE ALTERNATE ROUTES! @CityofRenton pic.twitter.com/bCHF5mEL6S

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) May 14, 2024

“I can see the smoke from 167 by the 277th exit,” Robert, a trucker from Puyallup, texted the KIRO Newsradio text-line. “Just jumped onto I-5 and traffic’s heavy. Looks like everyone else is doing the same thing.”

More from Chokepoints: Airport expansion in high gear as summer travel approaches

WSDOT is recommending drivers take alternate routes as crews try to clear the roads.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.

Past coverage: Revive I-5 done for the year in Everett

“We’ll have the ramp to Pacific Avenue and Marine View Drive closed,” Pierce told KIRO Newsradio. “And then we are also going to have the onramps from Everett Avenue and U.S. 2 closed in downtown Everett.”

As a possible saving grace, State Route 529 bridge work will pause so drivers can divert and head north and south. Pausing 529 bridge work will keep traffic moving through the Snohomish River Bridge. However, that route does have stoplights, so be prepared for major delays.

“Work on that project starts at 7 a.m. Wednesday, May 8, and will reduce the northbound highway to one lane, 24 hours per day,” WSDOT said.

Pierce said crews are going to be fixing the roads.

“We are going to remove some asphalt pavement and we are going to replace it with concrete. And so that takes a lot of time because we need the concrete to cure and then of course we have to go back and restripe once that’s complete,” Pierce said.

WSDOT sent a news release that stated:

The freeway will be reduced to one northbound lane from 9 p.m. Friday, May 10, to 6 a.m. Monday, May 13, starting near 41st Street. During the lane reduction, contractor crews working for WSDOT will replace asphalt with concrete between Pacific Avenue and Marine View Drive. The work still is weather dependent. The work will require ramp closures for the entire weekend.”

Drivers should allow for delays of up to an hour. Consider public transportation as an alternative or plan to travel earlier in the day before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m.

Related news: Expect traffic! President Biden returns to Seattle Friday, Mariners back in town

Also, keep in mind President Joe Biden lands in Seattle on Friday and will most likely leave Saturday midday. So if you plan to travel to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, leave at least three hours earlier than expected.

You can read more of Micki Gamez’s stories here. Follow Micki on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here. 

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“Think opposite” is really the best option for getting through the upper and lower drives at the airport terminal. When picking someone up, head to the departures deck. When dropping off, use the arrivals deck. Going counter to the flow usually gets you through a lot faster.

But if you’ve been to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) recently — like I was yesterday — you’ve likely noticed all the construction on the upper and lower drives just before the terminal. Workers are digging out the west sides of both approaches and installing two new retaining walls, all part of a $79 million project to widen the road into the terminal.

More SEA airport news: 46 arrested after pro-Palestinian protest shut down SEA Airport road for hours

The airport is also adding two lanes to the incoming drive, widening it from four lanes to six lanes.

“We’re going to have two dedicated lanes just into the lower drive, and we’ll have one lane that’ll be for all those courtesy shuttles that will go into the third floor of the garage,” Perry Cooper, senior manager of media relations for the Port of Seattle, told KIRO Newsradio. “We’ll have another lane that will be added on the far outside that will go straight into the airport garage.”

It’s all about reducing congestion at the terminal. Two dedicated lanes to the top deck. Two dedicated lanes to the bottom deck. A lane just for the third-floor ground transportation and one just for garage parking.

The project also includes a new pull-out area for the car rental shuttles, just before the garage. That’s where passengers will load and unload.

“That’s going to be where the rental car facility buses will park, pick you up and take you out to the rental car facility,” Cooper said. “We take those large buses off the driveway on the lower drive and make it more available for regular cars.”

There is already a matching pull-out on the south end of the garage.

“It will hopefully reduce the congestion that we especially see at night from 8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. evening flights,” Cooper said. “Everybody’s trying to get to that lower drive,” he said.

The off-site parking shuttles will now go to the third floor of the garage with all the other ground transportation.

For airport managers, this is all about squeezing new capacity out of the tiny footprint. Moving the roads a few feet to the west was really the only option for widening the road.

“We got the light rail right there on the east side so how do you add a lane when they got the light rail right there,” Cooper asked. “There’s no space so the only way we can do it is by shoving or creating a new retaining wall space to the west.”

It’s the same mantra for expanding the airport inside the terminal. There is no space to build out. This is not Denver, where the airport has almost unlimited land.

You have likely noticed all the ongoing work near the Alaska Airlines check-in and all the work between the upper and lower floors. The airport is adding check-in services in those in-between spaces.

More from Chris Sullivan: Has tagging met its match with WSDOT’s ‘graffiti-battling’ drone?

And it’s hard to miss the giant crane above the C Concourse.

“You typically don’t see things that tall in the middle of an airfield because you’ve got things flying by,” Cooper said.

The airport is adding four new floors to the concourse, nearly tripling the square footage. Going up is really the only way to expand.

This is all a part of $5 billion in improvements that will continue through 2026.

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It doesn’t have a nickname or fancy acronym, but it’s packed with eight motors, 150 feet of hose, intelligent collision avoidance, two batteries and a six-foot nozzle. If taggers can get there, so can this bad boy.

“This is not your average buy-it-at-Costco drone,” WSDOT’s Mike Gauger said. “This is an industrial-grade aircraft with a six-foot-long wand connected to an airless sprayer that’s capable of lots of pressure.”

More from Chokepoints: Four-month closure just weeks away for Snohomish River Bridge in Everett

Most drone operators don’t have to worry about a nozzle spraying paint, which adds a whole new bunch of physics to the party, but Gauger is not your average drone operator. He’s the head of WSDOT’s Olympic Region Maintenance Unit and the man who decided to turn a drone into a sword against graffiti.

Gauger has worked with drones for years, using them in bridge maintenance and other applications, but never against graffiti. There are 10 drone pilots in the region, but only two others have the skills to join Gauger at these controls.

“You might be very good at flying one of those drones and have a lot of experience doing it, but it doesn’t qualify you to touch this one,” Gauger said. “It’s a different animal.”

And the reason is the hose that dangles below it. That’s not something most operators have even considered.

“It’s not just a matter of being a normal drone pilot,” Gauger said. “There’s an element of training that needs to go with the tethered aspect of it. Some of the tendencies of drones that people get used to are flying a drone until the battery gets weak and when it’s time, it knows to just come back and land. But a drone doesn’t know that it has a hose attached to it, so having that happen could be detrimental.”

Gauger and his crew have tested the drone five times. The first time over the biggest canvas in Tacoma — the giant wall along Interstate 5 (I-5) just north of Highway 16.

“The first tag was big, 10-12 feet long, and in short order, it was covered,” he said. “Everybody there was smiling.”

If you’re not familiar with that spot on I-5, it’s at the top of a very steep, landscaped hillside with no shoulder at the bottom. It just isn’t safe to put people up there.

“We’re never going to let our employees take the risks that graffiti artists take when they’re up there,” Gauger said.

More from Chris Sullivan: Rest area blues and its dire situation on the I-5 corridor

The drone will be out in Pierce and Thurston Counties for the rest of the year. For Gauger, it’s about finding out if this is the right move to keep his people safe and the roadways clean.

“We’re planning to continue to do our research and actively go out and use it when it makes sense to through the summer and fall,” he said. “By the end of the year, we will produce the results.”

As you would imagine, Gauger’s phone is ringing off the hook from transportation departments around the world to see how it’s going. This is the first graffiti-battling drone in operation, and the world is watching.

“Each time we go out the idea is to learn,” Gauger said. “Is this going to be an acceptable maintenance practice for day-to-day use?”

We shall see.

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A spot paint job and a little lubrication won’t be enough this time to keep the bridge in good shape, even though it was rebuilt in 1994. The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is getting ready to shut down the northbound span of the bridge — which is part of Highway 529 between Everett and Marysville — for four months.

But before that happens, WSDOT is going to reduce the northbound direction to just one lane.

It’s not science fiction: A drone that removes graffiti has arrived

“We’re going to reduce the northbound bridge down to one lane starting Monday morning, and that’s going to be the prelude to a full northbound bridge closure which will come up at the end of May,” Tom Pearce, a communications consultant with WSDOT, said.

The four-month-long closure of the northbound span is expected to start May 28.

“We really need to get in and do some more work on the steel and some of the work on the mechanisms that make the bridge function,” Pearce said. “We want to repaint it too because painting is an important part of taking care of a bridge. That helps keep the steel in good shape, and this bridge is 97 years old. We’ve painted it a few times already and this is going to help keep it going.”

When that full closure begins, both directions of Highway 529 will be using the southbound span over the Snohomish River. But the work on the bridges along 529 isn’t the only construction going on between Everett and Marysville.

I-5 improvements between Everett and Marysville

Contractors are in the middle of a massive improvement project on Interstate 5 (I-5). A new northbound HOV lane is under construction. So is a whole new interchange at I-5 and 529. It will provide new on- and off-ramps to the freeway.

Part of this work is concrete improvements on I-5, a reason for WSDOT to close lanes on the highway this weekend. Northbound I-5 will be reduced to just one lane from Friday night through early Monday morning.

“We’re going to remove some asphalt pavement, and we’re going to replace it with concrete,” Pearce said. “That takes a lot of time because we need the concrete to cure and then of course we have to go back and re-stripe it.”

More from Chris Sullivan: Rest area blues and its dire situation on the I-5 corridor

There will be ramp closures too.

“We’ll have the ramp to Pacific Avenue and Marine View Drive closed,” Pearce said. “We’re also going to have the on-ramps from Everett Avenue and U.S. 2 closed in downtown Everett.”

This concrete replacement work is weather dependent so it could be pushed to another weekend.

WSDOT is expected to open the new 529 interchange and new HOV lane in the fall of 2025.

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As you know, I use our rest areas frequently on my trips to Montana. The ones on Interstate 90 are usually in great shape. The ones on Interstate 5 (I-5) closer to Seattle are another story. We have done multiple stories over the years on how some of the rest areas on I-5 have had to be closed for repairs and cleaning because of homeless encampments that have taken them over.

More on Washington’s rest areas: WSDOT claims $500M needed to fix state’s ‘declining’ rest stops

KIRO radio listener Darcia asked me to check into specific rest areas along I-5.

“I request you cover the dire situation with rest areas on the I-5 corridor traveling South from Arlington,” she wrote me. “My dad lives in Belfair and I live in Arlington. When I go to visit, there are virtually no rest areas. Are there plans to open the southbound rest area in Everett? And why wasn’t there a southbound rest area by Federal Way when there is one when traveling north I-5? ”

I know that the southbound rest area at Silver Lake in South Everett well. It’s not too far from my house. It was closed down in 2019 because of a failing roof. There was also damage and vandalism at the site, attributed to a homeless camp at the location. The future of this rest area is still up in the air.

The Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) just completed its first full review of the rest areas in 15 years. A study of truck parking is now underway. What happens to the Silver Lake rest area will be decided after this review is finished at the end of the year. Converting it to truck parking only is a possible outcome.

More from Chris Sullivan: A drone that removes graffiti has arrived

According to WSDOT, the need for a rest area there is not as vital. The Silver Lake location ranks 33 out of 47 locations in terms of necessity based on alternative service location availability.

As for the lack of a rest area on southbound I-5 south of Federal Way, WSDOT said it’s not necessary. The reason: Southbound travelers have multiple other stopping opportunities through Seattle and Tacoma.

And don’t expect the state to build one there any time soon. WSDOT doesn’t have the money to build any more. It also doesn’t have the money to fix its existing ones.

According to last year’s review, 87% of the buildings at the state’s rest areas were rated in critical condition, and it’s expected to cost between $375-525 million over the next 15 years to upgrade or renovate them.

Thank you Darcia for the question. It looks like gas stations or fast food restaurants are your pit stop from Arlington to Belfair.

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Maybe I’ve seen “Apocalypse Now” too many times, but that is my vision for this Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) pilot program designed to combat graffiti, especially on bridges and overpasses.

And why not? WSDOT spent $815,000 on graffiti removal in 2023. Workers spent more than 10,000 hours painting over 700,000 square feet of graffiti last year.

The government agency noted in its online story its crews report seeing new graffiti appear “sometimes days or even hours after an area is cleaned.”

More from Chris Sullivan: Bellevue to have cops on Eastside light rail trains

More on the drone that removes graffiti

The machine, built from an Aquiline Endure model, uses a spray nozzle and is linked to a paint supply on the ground. As the agency explains, an operator can position the drone anywhere the tethered hose can reach. The idea is that a drone used this way “makes quick work of painting over graffiti on tall retaining walls, bridges and overpasses.”

Drone No. 1 failed during initial testing, but the newest drone is up and running. It is being tested in Olympia and Tacoma, under control of licensed drone operators inside the Pierce County regional maintenance division.

More Chokepoints content: A guide to restricted parking zones for any confused drivers

The Washington legislature in Olympia passed House Bill 1989 during their session in 2024. The legislation provides WSDOT $1 million to research traffic camera technology for monitoring graffiti removal.

In December, the agency will submit a report to the legislature in December about the findings of the program for further evaluation. WSDOT emphasized in its story that “it will be a while before we know if this is technology that we will implement in the long term.”

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The new 2-Line runs every 10-minutes between 5:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m., seven days a week. Voters approved the plans in 2008, the same year when shovels first hit dirt on the east link light rail.

More from Bellevue: Bellevue to have cops on Eastside light rail trains

“I’ve been working on this project for the better part of two decades. We adopted our kid at age 3 when we were taking the first vote to the Bellevue City Council and he is 18 years old now,” King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci said. “I am just delighted to be able to deliver these rides for kids like our kid and everybody else.”

The 6.6-mile track offers eight stops between South Bellevue Station and Redmond Technology Station near the Microsoft Campus. Two more stops extending to Redmond are planned, including Marymoor Park. Once the Interstate 90 East Link extension goes into service — set for 2025 — that will link the 2-line and the 1-line together.

At times, the 2-line runs parallel to traffic. Other times, it’s zooming over Interstate 405 with spectacular views and tunnels along the route. The East Link will operate seven days a week between 5:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m., with trains stopping every 10 minutes at all eight stations.

Saturday’s Inaugural Ceremony starts at 10 a.m. at Bellevue Downtown Station, with a ribbon-cutting event set for 11 a.m. At that time, passengers will make history by boarding the new 2-line for the first time.

More from Nate Connors: Snohomish County Search and Rescue seeks volunteers amid uptick in missions

There will be events for all ages at every stop including a bouncy house, food trucks, bike helmet giveaways and live music. Also, along the route, passengers can take part in the Discover. Stamp.  Win! contest. Some of the prizes include an Xbox gaming console, one year of unlimited link and bus rides and a Meta Quest 3 VR headset.

For more information, visit Sound Transit’s website.

Contributing: Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

You can read more of Nate Connors’ stories here. Follow Nate on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and the KIRO Newsradio traffic team here for more traffic updates.

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UPDATE: The collision on NB I-5 just north of S 320th St in Federal Way is now blocking the right lane, left general purpose lane and the HOV lane. The two center lanes have reopened.

Continue to expect delays in the area. Slow down when driving through the collision area. https://t.co/ZPSD1X0rWq pic.twitter.com/3V6Yz6tLNq

— WSDOT Traffic (@wsdot_traffic) April 25, 2024

No injuries have been reported.

“You can bail and take I-99 northbound,” KIRO traffic reporter Micki Gamez said. “That’s going to be your fastest route until this crash clears.”

WSDOT reported there is a near-five-mile back-up, asking drivers to plan ahead and seek alternate routes if possible.

More I-5 accidents near Kent, Federal Way

On I-5 heading south — just south of State Route 516 in Kent — another collision occurred, blocking the right lane. A turned-over car can be seen on WSDOT’s traffic cameras as crews attempt to remove the vehicle from the scene and open up the highway lanes.

A third accident on I-5 northbound — just north of State Route 518 near milepost 145 in Federal Way — happened that blocked three right lanes before medical aid and state patrol arrived on the scene. The lanes have since reopened, but delays are still expected.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.

You can expect to see uniformed Bellevue Police officers riding the light rail trains on the Eastside when service between Bellevue and Redmond begins on Saturday, and they are there for one reason.

“They’re there to provide that kind of guardianship and to also make sure that folks know that if there is crime or even the fear of crime we’re here to reduce it,” Bellevue Police’s Drew Anderson said.

More on Bellevue: Strip mall fire leads to huge response, evacuations

The new BLU unit was created just for this job, thanks to the leadership of the city council.

“We were very fortunate for the city council to give us approval to create this brand new unit,” Anderson said. “There’s going to be five officers, consisting of a sergeant and four actual uniform officers, and it will grow.”

This unit will not be doing fare enforcement, and it will work directly with the King County Sheriff’s Office, which runs the transit police for Sound Transit. The unit will be on the trains and around the six stations inside the Bellevue city limits.

“To make sure to provide riders and families the positive experience on a transit line and to really prevent any crime that could happen in the area,” Anderson said.

Riders are encouraged to report suspicious behavior or activity to this unit, as well as the transit police. Bellevue Police has also been working with other regional first responders to prepare for the inevitable accidents that will happen with this new line opening.

The trains cross several intersections at grade, putting trains, bikes, pedestrians and cars all in harm’s way if the public isn’t paying attention. Light rail has been running through Seattle’s Rainier Valley for years, and there are still accidents caused by cars, people and bikes going in front of trains.

“We are doing our part,” Anderson said. “The system is doing its part, but we’re also asking drivers and pedestrians to do their part. We know that this is new, and what’s the one thing we know when things are new, people are learning a new system,” Anderson. “There’s a little bit of change so we’re asking folks to be more vigilant and know that if there’s a train coming don’t try to dodge the arm.”

More from Chris Sullivan: A guide to Restricted Parking Zones for any confused drivers

The 6.6-mile starter line from the South Bellevue Station to the Redmond Technology Station opens to the public on Saturday. There is a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the downtown Bellevue station at 10 a.m. Service begins around 11 a.m.

The trains will run every 10 minutes from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., seven days a week.

This line will eventually connect to Seattle, over Lake Washington, when construction and testing is complete. That is scheduled to happen in late 2025.

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This isn’t a case of some of those parking poles we all have seen, where there are multiple signs instructing drivers what they can and cannot do. But 97.3 KIRO FM listener Allison asked me about a sign she saw in Seattle’s Roosevelt neighborhood.

More from Chokepoints: I-405 expansion to widen freeway in Bothell is underway

The sign is for two-hour parking from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., excluding Sundays, holidays and those with a zone parking permit.

“What does it mean for parking after 6 p.m.?” Allison asked. “Is it implying that anyone may park for over two hours, or that you must have a zone permit to park for any time after 6 p.m.?”

I reached out to the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) for a full explanation.

This one is pretty simple. After 6 p.m., anyone can park in those spots. No permit is needed. Drivers just need to move their cars before the time limit expires the next morning. So if you parked at 6 p.m., you would have until 9 a.m. the next morning to move your car without fear of getting a ticket.

And just a reminder, drivers can only park in the same spot for 72 hours total, even with a restricted parking zone permit.

More from Chris Sullivan: It’s not the whole enchilada, but light rail to roll on Eastside this month

“Parking time limits are one of the ways that we help manage parking demand in popular neighborhoods to help make sure that parking spaces are available when people need them,” SDOT stated. “Restricted Parking Zones help ease parking congestion in residential neighborhoods while balancing the needs of all people to be able to use the public streets. During the times when the permit restrictions are in effect, it prioritizes on-street parking for neighborhood residents so that they can leave their cars on the street if they are at home or getting around without a car while providing short-term parking options for people visiting businesses, schools, churches, parks and other nearby destinations.”

For more information about the Restricted Parking Zone Program and how residents can obtain a permit, check out SDOT’s page here.

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