Without the I-5 express lanes open in the southbound direction during morning commutes, the backups start just before 6 a.m.First, at the forced merge in Northgate, eventually extending to the Edmonds exit. The commute is running 20-25 minutes longer than it did with the express lanes open in the southbound direction. What we also see is a lot of Snohomish County drivers are choosing to use southbound I-405 out of Lynnwood. The I-405 express toll lane is now hitting the $15 maximum about 45 minutes earlier than normal most mornings. Many drivers have asked whether the state can waive the tolls on southbound I-405 to ease the financial burden on people using the freeway to avoid southbound I-5.