New SR 99 Tunnel now open for snowy commute

SEATTLE — Getting to and from Seattle on SR 99 will be a very different experience now that new SR 99 Tunnel is open amid a snowy commute.

The Washington State Department of Transportation released four videos to help drivers understand what their new commute will look like on SR 99.

First off, it will be free to use the tunnel. The earliest the tolls might start is summer.

Next, the two-mile tunnel runs underneath downtown Seattle. It has two lanes in each direction with entrances and exits near the Space Needle to the north and the stadiums to the south.

It does not have mid-tunnel entrances and exits for downtown Seattle other than the two portals, so drivers will have to get used to new routes.

In addition, WSDOT says it will take up to two more weeks after the tunnel opens to complete a new northbound off-ramp to downtown Seattle, immediately south of the tunnel. So during that time, drivers who want to access downtown Seattle on SR 99 from the south will have to use the tunnel and exit near the Space Needle or take another route into downtown Seattle until the off-ramp is complete.

To help drivers navigate, WSDOT produced four videos, which we have embedded below: