Traffic reporters malign it.
It's the shortcut that never was. Interstate 405, that 30-mile ribbon of pavement intended as a bypass around Seattle, is congested an average of 6.7 hours a day. Interstate 405, shown here at the interchange with state Route 520, was intended as a 30-mile bypass around Seattle, but has turned into a major headache for commuters. A committee's plan would cut the jams to an average of 5.3 hours a day instead of the current 6.7. It is 15 times the original cost of the downtown Metro bus tunnel.