SAN DIEGO — California drivers will soon see new lanes on Interstate 5 as Caltrans prepares to open up an HOV lane from Carlsbad to Oceanside.
HOV lanes have been completed with southbound lanes opening June 14 and the northbound section opening two weeks later. These lane openings include four additional miles that connect to SR-78. The additional lanes mean that there are now 13 miles of additional HOV lanes that have recently been completed in this region.
Traffic could be reduced for drivers, but more people may carpool or use electric/hybrid vehicles with the new, additional lanes.
This was a joint project between SANDAG and Caltrans. SANDAG also announced an additional $260 million from the state which will be used to fund future projects.
That funding is coming through a Senate bill that is being considered by the California Transportation Commission (CTC) on June 29.
In a statement, Nora Vargas, the SANDAG Chairwoman said that these state grants, “…are great news for the San Diego region and represent a significant investment in improving our community infrastructure. This includes improving rail lines in North County and ensuring the completion of the East Otay Mesa Port of Entry, both are essential projects for our binational region."
The CTC said that it recommended $103 million for SANDAG and North County Transit District to build rail infrastructure. This funding would be used to replace an 80-year-old wood bridge with a concrete rail bridge and add about half a mile of double tracks across the Batiquitos Lagoon.
Once finished, this new bridge would connect Carlsbad with Encinitas.
Officials said the rail improvements are a vital part of the Build NCC program, which plans on spending almost $1 billion on double-track upgrades over the next 20 years to ensure continued service on the Orange County line to downtown San Diego.
WATCH RELATED: Caltrans, SANDAG open 9 new miles of carpool & HOV lanes on I-5 between Solana Beach and Carlsbad
