New Freeway Lane Will Cut Commute

SACRAMENTO -- The opening of an additional lane on the Capital City Freeway is expected to save commuters up to 10 minutes.

"Completed nearly 19 months ahead of schedule, this project will make driving safer on one of Sacramento's worst traffic bottlenecks," Gov. Gray Davis said.

The $10 million Capital City Freeway Connector Ramp Widening Project adds a third lane to the ramp carrying traffic from westbound Interstate 80 to the westbound Capital City Freeway.

The new lane is expected to save commuters up to 10 minutes off the usual 30-minute commute between Antelope Road and Fulton Avenue. It is the first phase of a larger project to reduce congestion by adding 9 mi. of new carpool lanes to Interstate 80 and installing ramp meters on the Madison Avenue interchange.

When all of these improvements are completed in 2004, commuters can expect an added time savings of approximately 15 minutes each day.

The widening project, which began in October 2001 and was a joint effort by the state and Sacramento County, was completed ahead of schedule thanks to an innovative construction technique. Using the design-sequencing technique, construction began while engineering plans for the remainder of the project were being completed.

Interstate Carpool Lane Is Ahead of Schedule

EL MONTE -- A 3.2 mi.-long carpool lane prject on Interstate 10 is expected to open two months ahead of schedule, cutting commute times for Los Angeles motorists, Gov. Gray Davis said.

The $64 million project, which is scheduled for completion in 2004. will give multi-passenger vehicles the option of driving in the carpool lane from the Inland Empire to downtown Los Angeles.

Caltrans will install a 300-ft. section of pre-cast concrete slabs for the new lanes. The slabs, brought in by crane, fit together in a tongue-and-groove fashion. If they prove successful, they could change the way Caltrans builds and maintains roads, eliminating the need to pour and cure concrete.

That process could save motorists more time when traveling through construction zones because the slabs can be driven upon immediately after placement.

The lanes are part of a larger carpool network, scheduled for completion in 2011, which will cut as much as 20 minutes of commute time off a 20-mile section. This project is part of the $1.4 billion transportation agenda for the Los Angeles region.