WSDOT: You may have been overcharged for using SR 99 tunnel

SEATTLE — More than 1,500 cars were overcharged 25 cents when using the SR 99 tunnel from Nov. 9, 2019 to Dec. 31, 2019 due to a technical issue.

According to the Washington Department of Transportation, a technical issue with the tolling equipment in the tunnel charged some drivers an extra photo-enforced fee in error.

According to a public records request, the photo enforcement fee was refunded 1,518 times from Nov. 9 to Dec. 31.

"To ensure you are not being overcharged, we are crediting your account for any 25-cent fee charged for travel in the SR 99 tunnel from Nov. 9, 2019 through Dec. 31, 2019,” a spokesperson for WSDOT wrote in a news release.

The refunds will be automatic so drivers need not do anything, WSDOT said.

Officials said the refunds will begin to be issued Friday, but asked that drivers wait up to seven days for the credit to appear in their accounts.

Drivers can log into their account here and go to the ‘Account History’ page to see how much they will be credited.

Once on the ‘Account History’ page, WSDOT says to use the search tool to show all transactions from Nov. 9 through Dec 31 and to look for any 25-cent charges in the transaction history associated with travel in the tunnel.

Tolling in SR 99 Tunnel began on Nov. 9.

“These charges are posted to your account with the same date as the trip to which they’re affiliated (to see the details of a trip, click on the purple arrow),” WSDOT said.

Drivers with a Good to Go! pass in their vehicle who continue to see a 25-cent photo enforcement fee for travel in the tunnel after Dec. 31 are asked to contact WSDOT to receive a refund.

However, WSDOT said if drivers see a 25-cent fee for trips on other facilities, it could mean there is an issue with the Good to Go! pass. Click here to contact the WSDOT customer service center.

Drivers who do not have a Good to Go! Pass are automatically charged the 25-cent photo-enforced fee, according to WSDOT.