Inslee to announce changes to I-405 tolling, I-5 repairs

SHORELINE, Wash. (AP) — Gov. Jay Inslee says he plans to announce changes to the Interstate 405 express lane tolling system. At a Tuesday afternoon news conference, he also plans to speak about a proposal focused on congestion and safety on Interstate 5. He is requesting the Legislature approve 10 new incident response teams for I-5 to quickly clear collisions and provide roadside assistance. The request adds $10 million to the governor's supplemental transportation budget. The governor also has said he will talk about plans to replace dozens of aging expansion joins along the freeway from Marysville to Federal Way. Inslee says the proposed changes to the I-405 express lanes will improve traffic flow and add capacity.

The Latest: Inslee says state won't eliminate I-405 tolling

Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday announced plans to try to decrease congestion on Interstate 405 in answer to commuter complaints that the new express lane tolling system is making traffic worse.

The governor said he would not be shutting down the tolling system as some people have called for. But the state transportation department is making plans to add new northbound general purpose lanes to ease some of the congestion. They also plan to make it easier to move into and out of the express lanes.

Inslee emphasized at a news conference that the tolling system is a two-year pilot and as a pilot it's doing its job. He says state officials are learning a lot from the experience and continually working to improve the situation for drivers.

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