It’s been slightly busier in some spots, but business as usual in others on State Route 522 today through Bothell and Kenmore, according to locals.
Tolls on the SR 520 bridge began this morning, and Bothell and Kenmore officials, along with Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Tolls Director Craig Stone, have said that an influx of drivers will be traveling SR 522 and interstates 90 and 405 to avoid paying tolls.
“Drivers from Issaquah to Seattle and Tukwila to Shoreline will see changes to their commute,” Stone said. “Drivers who use these routes should prepare for potential traffic delays and adjust their schedule accordingly. We expect traffic patterns will change daily, and it will take several months before traffic settles into a predictable new pattern.”
Traffic on the bridge the first hour of tolling was 45 percent less than a normal day, according to WSDOT.
Don Villegas and Eric Deines, employees at a business on Northeast Bothell Way in Kenmore, said SR 522 was more congested today than normal.
“Especially this morning. Normally, the crows are around and they stick around until about 8, but they were gone because a lot of traffic was around,” Villegas said of the large flock of birds that are ever-present in Kenmore. “They didn’t even stop by, they just flew right over.”
Added Deines of the traffic: “A little bit more than normal so far, nothing major. It’s not like we’re backed up or anything. Oh, we’ll see an increase there, for sure.”
Deines is referring to this coming Tuesday, when most people will return to work after their holiday vacations and hit the roads in full force again.
Over at Bothell Ski and Bike on Northeast Bothell Way in Kenmore, co-owner Greg Pergament agrees that Tuesday will be the “real test” in witnessing how much additional traffic will roll on SR 522.
“I’m hoping that if more traffic is directed by here, my business will get better. It certainly may lead to more exposure for our business, people going a little bit slower, and maybe some people that normally took 520 and are now taking this will see our business for the first time,” Pergament said.
Pergament added that the SR 522 improvements, like the widening of the road and the better timing of the traffic lights, should be able to handle the additional traffic.
While waiting for tires to be put on his vehicle at a shop on Northeast Bothell Way this morning, Bothell resident Wade Foley said he hadn’t noticed any difference on the roads. But he knows more traffic will be coming his way: “I’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.”
And while he concurs with Pergament that businesses will benefit from the extra traffic, he added: “The people that live around here might not be so happy because they’ll get more traffic.”
Nat Levy contributed to this story.
Picture: Traffic flows smoothly on State Route 522 in between Bothell and Kenmore this morning. On Tuesday, this scenario is expected to change. Andy Nystrom/ Reporter
