Gov. Inslee to announce I-405 express toll lane changes on Tuesday

SHORELINE, Wash. -- Governor Jay Inslee plans to meet with employees at WSDOT's new Transportation Management Center to discuss two key proposals, including plans to improve the new I-405 express toll lanes.

Inslee will announce more than a dozen improvements being made to the I-405 corridor to help improve traffic flow and add capacity, the governor's office said. Though they did not release any specifics on that proposal Monday.

Inslee is also asking the Legislature for ten new Incident Response Teams for the I-5 corridor to help clear collisions and provide roadside assistance. He proposed $10 million for the new teams in his supplemental transportation budget.

State officials say the IRTs have proven to be a cost-effective ways to reduce congestion as a result of blocking collisions and disabled vehicles on the freeway.

WSDOT is also scheduled to replace dozens of aging expansion joints along I-5 from Marysville to Federal Way. Transportation officials say this is a critical safety and maintenance issue that cannot be delayed.