Watch CBS News

Metro Opens 10-Mile Stretch Of NB 405 Carpool Lane Through Sepulveda Pass

LOS ANGELES (CBSAL.com) — Metro Friday opened the last portion of a 10-mile stretch of the northbound 405 carpool lane through the Sepulveda Pass, just in time for Memorial Day weekend.

The new lane links the San Fernando Valley to the Westside and closes the gap in the I-405 carpool lane network.

For the first time, drivers will be able to travel in the carpool lane from Orange County to the 101 Freeway.

The lane, which opened shortly before 4:30 a.m., took five years to complete, with drivers enduring two Carmageddons and a Jamzilla.

"We've paved a better 405," Metro spokesman Dave Sotero said. "Motorists should see a difference in the west LA area and through the Sepulveda Pass."

More than 300,000 vehicle travel through the Sepulveda Pass daily, making the 405 the nation's busiest freeway.

By 2030, that number is expected to increase to 430,000 cars a day.

"People in this part of town have put up with a lot, and it's finally time for the public to begin experiencing one of the major benefits of this project," said Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

The northbound 405 carpool lanes are at the heart of the more than $1 billion Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project, which is slated for completion by fall.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.