The long-awaited opening of new lanes on the 405 Freeway is set for Dec. 1, Orange County Transportation Authority officials announced Monday, Oct. 23, but first some carpool lanes and connectors will have to close for several weeks.
The $2.16 billion project to widen the 405 Freeway from the northern Orange County line to the 73 Freeway is adding two new general lanes and two express lanes, one for each direction. The current carpool lanes along the 405 are also converting into express lanes, two in each direction.
In a few days, carpool lanes and connectors along the 405 will close to begin testing the tolls.
The northbound 405 carpool lane will close at the 73 at night on Wednesday, Oct. 25. The carpool lanes in both directions along the 405 will close at night on Nov. 1, including the connector lanes between the 22 Freeway and the 405 and between the 605 and 405.
The 405 Express Lanes will require a FasTrak transponder and will charge drivers a toll, depending on the time of day. The most a driver will pay is $9.95, during a Friday afternoon commute north, but OCTA officials said drivers on average will pay $3 to travel the entire 14 miles on the express lanes.
For the next three and a half years, vehicles with two people will be able to travel during off-peak times for free. From the outset, vehicles with at least three people, a designated veterans license plate or a disabled person license plate will be able to use the lanes for free – motorcycle riders as well. Clean air vehicles with the transponder will receive a 15% discount.
Kirk Avila, the general manager of the express lanes program at OCTA, said all the tolling equipment has been installed with the exception of a few generators.
OCTA officials said while the project is more than 95% complete, the Dec. 1 opening date isn’t an absolute guarantee. OCTA Senior Program Manager Jeff Mills said there are still a few risks to meeting that date, including ensuring that the tolling system works properly.
Even after the new lanes open, crews will be working through the spring to finish installing lighting for the bridges and landscaping next to the freeway. Construction has already finished on the 18 bridges spanning the freeway, as well as ramps and walls.
On Monday, the OCTA board of directors approved an agreement with the California Highway Patrol for the agency to patrol the 405 Express Lanes.
The $15 million agreement, which lasts for 10 years, will have CHP officers from the Westminster office monitoring the lanes daily from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. They’ll be tasked with general traffic enforcement and taking action against vehicles using the lanes without a FasTrak transponder or having an improper passenger number set on it.
The 405 expansion began construction in March 2018. The general lane additions are funded by the county’s half-cent sales tax approved by voters for transportation projects. A federal government loan paid for the express lanes and will be repaid by tolls collected.
More information about how the new 405 Express Lanes will operate can be found at 405expresslanes.com.
