New devices installed over the freeways in Seattle area?

Question

Just over night I noticed they installed some kind of devices over Hwy 167 in Kent, WA that are like arms that go out over the two left lanes in both directions and they have 4 flat panels on them facing down, one over the carpool lane, one over the middle lane. Does anyone know what these things are for?

Answer 1

February 2008

The state Transportation Commission on Feb. 19 adopted a toll price range for the SR 167 HOT Lanes Pilot Project. The Commission’s action will amend sections of the Washington administrative code (WAC) that describe the variable toll rate and vehicles exempted from paying the toll. After they are filed with the Code Reviser’s Office, the amendments will be forwarded to the state Legislature for action. Under Initiative 960, the legislature must approve any new fees or taxes, which includes tolls.

Learn how tolling reduces congestion and pays for highway improvements on WSDOT's new tolling Web page.

Read the final report from the Nov. 5-6 HOT Lanes Peer Review.

Crews continue HOT lane striping; WSDOT urges motorcyclists to use caution.

The project is scheduled to open in spring of 2008.

High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes are your ticket to the fast lane when you just can’t be late. This four-year pilot project will test a new congestion management tool that allows solo drivers to pay an electronic toll, without ever stopping, to use the carpool lanes.

Toll rates fluctuate with the level of congestion to ensure that traffic in the HOT lane flows at least 45 mph, even when the regular lanes are congested.

The project is scheduled to launch in spring 2008. A single HOT lane in each direction will run along nine miles of State Route 167 between Renton and Auburn in King County. Carpools of two people or more, transit, vanpools and motorcycles will use the HOT lanes toll free.