Traffic & Transit
Metro Awarded $25 Million For 71 Freeway Improvements
The funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation will support the second phase of the State Route 71 Gap Closure Project.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Metro announced Wednesday that it has been awarded a $25 million federal grant to help complete a freeway improvement project in Pomona that will add carpool and general-purpose lanes along the Chino Valley (71) Freeway.
The funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation will support the second phase of the State Route 71 Gap Closure Project, which will close a two-mile gap in the corridor's high-occupancy vehicle lane system, according to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The project will add one carpool lane and one general-purpose lane in each direction, creating more than 15 miles of carpool lanes along the corridor and improving connections between Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
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"We are grateful to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for providing this vital federal funding for the State Route 71 Gap Closure Phase 2 Project," Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins said in a statement.
Wiggins also thanked Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, both D- California, and members of the Los Angeles County congressional delegation for their support.
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The project is funded in part by Measure M, the half-cent sales tax approved by Los Angeles County voters in 2016 to support transportation improvements.
The 71 Freeway connects the San Bernardino (10) Freeway and the Pomona (60) Freeway, two major east-west freight routes.
Metro officials said the corridor is important for commuters and freight traffic moving between the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and industrial and distribution centers in eastern Los Angeles County.
The project will also involve reconstructing two railroad overpasses to improve freight movement, replacing a pedestrian overcrossing, constructing retaining and sound walls, and installing landscaping.
The $25 million award comes through the federal Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects program, known as INFRA, which supports major transportation projects intended to improve the movement of goods and people.
Metro officials said the improvements are expected to reduce travel times and collisions while supporting freight operations along the corridor.
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