WHAT'S WITH THIS? A stunned commuter on State Route 167 asks

This sign of an $8.50 toll on State Route 167 northbound got one viewer's apt attention Thursday morning. "What's up with this?" he asked.



SEATTLE -- Yes, it's the correct amount, the Washington State Department of Transportation said.

The toll to drive in the HOT lane of State Route 167 was indeed $8.50 Thursday morning, wrote Annie Johnson, of WSDOT, in response to an inquiry from Q13 FOX News.

"On SR 167, toll rates vary based on congestion for the whole HOT lanes corridor," wrote Johnson.

"Sometimes congestion can be further upstream from where your viewer is. For example, traffic may be OK where they are in Auburn but very congested in Renton. The toll will be higher to keep a reliable trip through the whole corridor," she said.