Q: To reach southbound Interstate 405 from her home in the Totem Lake area, Kirkland resident Bea Baker has resorted to traveling a bit out of her way to the Northeast 124th or Northeast 116th street freeway on-ramps, even though she lives just west of a new Northeast 128th Street overpass that has direct access ramps onto the freeway.

She's noticed solo drivers jumping on the new carpool entrance to the freeway on weekday mornings, even though it is her understanding that the carpool lane is set aside for vehicles with two or more people.

Could it be that local residents have been given special permission to use that entrance because of so much road construction in the area, or are there special rules she's unaware of that could help her reach the freeway faster?

She fears she'd be pulled over on the freeway if she used the carpool entrance. "I want to do what's right," she said, "but it would certainly be much more convenient to just hop on the freeway from the carpool lane."

A: Sorry, Bea. The state says the HOV direct access ramps are off-limits to solo drivers at all times, even when there's construction in the area. The new ramps at Northeast 128th Street are only for buses, carpools and vanpools. So solo drivers headed to southbound I-405 in the Totem Lake area should head for general-traffic ramps at Northeast 124th Street or Northeast 116th Street, just like you're doing.

State Department of Transportation spokeswoman Laura Johnson points out that solo drivers who get caught using the carpool direct access ramps are subject to a $101 fine, and double that amount in a construction work zone.