OCTA and Caltrans are kicking off construction of the I-5 Central County Improvement Project, which will add a second carpool lane in each direction on I-5 between SR-55 and SR-57. Traffic on that stretch of I-5 is expected to climb to more than 400,000 vehicles a day by 2035, a seven percent increase from today’s traffic volume. This two-year project will reduce existing and future traffic congestion and travel time, as well as improve overall traffic operations.
The new carpool lanes will be striped for continuous access allowing drivers to move freely between lanes. The project will require removal of the concrete barrier between the carpool and regular lanes and demolition of the I-5/Main Street HOV ramp to make room for the additional carpool lanes.
The $41.6 million project is funded with federal dollars and by OC Go (also known as Measure M), Orange County’s half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements.
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