What do HOT lanes look like?
HOT lanes look much like HOV lanes, except they are separated by a two-foot buffer and double solid white lines, which is illegal to cross. Signs on the roadway alert drivers to approaching access points and the current toll amount. Drivers can enter HOT lanes at the beginning of the HOT lanes and in 1/4 mile-long access zones. There are six northbound and four southbound access zones. An overhead sensor automatically deducts tolls as it reads the transponders of vehicles passing beneath it. One toll is debited for each trip in the HOT lane. A white light will flash when a vehicle’s transponder is read. The light indicates that a transponder was detected. At entrance/exit points, the buffer that separates the HOT lane from the general-purpose lanes become a single dashed line. Access areas will be about a 1/4 mile long. WSDOT added road striping and extra merging space between the HOT lane and general-purpose lanes to make the roadway safer for all drivers. The access point design is b
