The first 10 miles of San Bernardino County’s new 10 Freeway express lanes are about to open to drivers.
Motorists can use the lanes between the Los Angeles County-San Bernardino County line in Montclair and Etiwanda Avenue in Ontario starting early Thursday, Aug. 29. Officials say the project will create a smoother commute for eastbound and westbound traffic.
They will serve early risers such as 28-year-old security guard Malyki Dade, who commutes to work every day on the 10 from Montclair to Ontario.
“Sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic every morning is very irritating, so this will be a huge benefit,” Dade said Wednesday, Aug. 28.
Transportation officials said the upgrades should reduce congestion and improve traffic flow, giving drivers a shorter commute during peak traffic hours.
California’s FasTrak toll system allows drivers to pay without stopping. FasTrak lets drivers pay tolls on any toll road, bridge, or express lane marked with the FasTrak logo.
Dade, a FasTrak user, said he hopes “these express lanes will reduce traffic on the 10 Freeway” — and maybe buy him an extra hour of sleep before work.
Ahead of the busy Labor Day weekend, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority officials announced the opening Wednesday, during a news media tour of the soon-to-be-opened lanes.
On Wednesday morning, construction workers could be seen using bulldozer-like vehicles to flatten the pavement on the busy highway.
The lanes are a part of the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority’s Interstate 10 Corridor Project, which has three phases.
The first phase, which started construction in March 2020, is part of an eventual 33-mile stretch of express lanes that will go from the Los Angeles County-San Bernardino County line all the way to Redlands.
Drivers traveling eastbound on the 10 will be able to enter the new express lanes at:
- The Los Angeles County/ San Bernardino County line in Montclair
- Mountain Avenue in Ontario
- Fourth Street in Ontario
Drivers on the eastbound 10 Freeway can exit at Mountain Avenue, Fourth Street, Haven Avenue or Etiwanda Avenue in Ontario.
Drivers traveling westbound on the 10 can enter at:
- Etiwanda Avenue in Ontario
- Haven Avenue in Ontario
- Fourth Street in Ontario
- Mountain Avenue in Upland
After that, drivers traveling west could get off the 10 at the Los Angeles County/San Bernardino County line, Haven Avenue, Fourth Street in Ontario or Mountain Avenue in Upland.
Construction of the express lanes included the reconstruction of one high-occupancy vehicle lane and the construction of a new lane next to it. Other construction included the addition of new auxiliary lanes that assist drivers merging on and off freeways, along with the widening and improvement of 18 bridges along the 10, a San Bernardino County Transportation Authority news release states.
Tim Watkins, an authority spokesperson, expressed excitement about the $963 million project and said “the public has been unbelievably patient with construction.”
Authority officials recommend using FasTrak because drivers using it will always receive the lowest toll if they use this system.
Drivers can anticipate paying the amount indicated on digital signs at each entry point. Transportation officials said prices will vary depending on how crowded the freeway is. The toll for cars in the express lanes increases along with the volume of traffic.
To pay for the lanes, a driver must deposit at least $20 into a FasTrak account. Toll fees will be deducted from a drivers’ accounts as they use the lanes.
The lanes will offer a carpooling discount as well. With a FasTrak account and a FasTrak Flex transponder, drivers with three or more passengers in their vehicle can use the lanes for free. A Flex transponder is a small black switch that can be moved to indicate the number of passengers in the car, a FasTrak news release states.
A $225 million loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Build America Bureau and the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act went towards the project, along with other federal, state and local dollars, a news release states.
The project won’t stop here, Watkins said.
In 2025, contractors will submit bids for the second phase of the project.
Construction is expected to begin that phase at the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026. It will extend the express lanes from Etiwanda Avenue in Ontario to Pepper Avenue in Colton.
The third and final phase will see the lanes extended 12 miles, from Pepper Avenue to Redlands’ Ford Street.
There is not yet a start date for construction, Watkins said.
“This will make a really big difference, I really hope the wait on construction after all these months will be worth the final results,” said Dade, the commuter. “I’m excited … I guess I’ll see tomorrow on my way to work.”
Updates on San Bernardino County’s express lanes can be found here.
