Tacoma Narrows Bridge tolls to rise $2.75 to $3.25

Washington state transportation commissioners have voted provisionally to increase electronic toll rates at the Tacoma Narrows Bridge for cars from $2.75 to $3.25, or 18%, effective July 1. Cash toll rates will remain at $4.00. To take effect a second meeting of the commission scheduled for April 22 has to vote to confirm the hike following a period for public comment.

Officials say the increase is needed to cover higher costs and to compensate for lower traffic. Traffic this February was 1042k vs 1120k 2008Feb, a drop of 7%.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge consists of a 1950 suspension span that now serves westbound traffic and a new suspension span that opened July 15 2007 serving eastbound traffic. The 1950 span was tolled from opening until 1965 when tolls were discontinued.

Tolls have been reimposed to pay operating costs of both bridges which are about $15m/year and to pay debt service costs of around $27m/yr. Toll revenue has been around $45m/year, levied eastbound only. Motorists can fly through at highway speed with a TransCore sticker tag brandnamed Good to Go, an electrnicv toll option also used on the WA167 HOT lanes southeast of Seattle.

At Tacoma Narrows there is also cash toll collection off to the right.

HISTORY: The first bridge over the Narrows opened in July 1940 but just four months later it was shaken to pieces by winds, and collapsed. The collapse was attributed to a design fault that provided insufficient bracing against a shaking phenomenon known as aeroelastic flutter.

TOLLROADSnews 2009-03-23