SEE VIDEO: How To Use The I-580 Express Lanes

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA - The eastbound I-580 Express Lane opened Friday, and on Monday, the westbound lane is set to open for motorists traveling on I-580 through Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore.

”I’m very pleased that we are delivering this important project - a new choice for drivers through the heavily congested Tri-Valley corridor,” says Alameda CTC Chair Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Councilmember At-Large. “These three express lanes give drivers a greater incentive to carpool (carpoolers can use the lanes for free with a FasTrak® Flex toll tag), while providing benefits to all corridor users.”

Representing the “next generation” of express lanes, the I-580 Express Lanes will feature near continuous access, so drivers can enter and exit at almost any point instead of waiting for dedicated entry and exit zones, and require a FasTrak® toll tag for all users. Tolls are based on congestion levels, and will be visible on overhead gantries throughout the corridor.

• The I-580 Express Lanes will be free for carpools, vanpools, clean-air vehicles, buses and motorcycles with a FasTrak Flex toll tag set to 2 or 3+.

• Carpoolers will need to obtain and mount a FasTrak Flex toll tag, a new type of FasTrak tag that allows drivers to designate if they are driving solo or carpooling.

• FasTrak Flex toll tags can be purchased at Costco, Safeway or Walgreens stores in the Tri-Valley or online at www.bayareafastrak.org.

• Solo drivers have the option of paying for a more reliable trip with either a standard FasTrak toll tag or a FasTrak Flex set to 1.

Operated by the Alameda County Transportation Commission and enforced by the California Highway Patrol, the express lanes feature two eastbound lanes and one westbound express lane through the Tri-Valley corridor between San Ramon Road/Foothill Road and Greenville Road. They will operate Monday through Friday from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Drivers may enter or exit the express lanes anywhere there is skip striping but must not cross the portions of the express lanes where there are double white lines.

• Drivers in the westbound express lane need to exit the express lane before Hacienda in order to access I-680.

A period of adjustment and associated delays are expected as drivers familiarize themselves with the new lanes. Ongoing testing is anticipated during the first weeks of operation. Speeds are expected to normalize as drivers adjust to the lanes.

”We are pleased to deliver new transportation solutions with technology. We understand that it might take time for drivers to become accustomed to the new lanes,” says Alameda CTC Executive Director Arthur L. Dao. “We are working on making this new facility operate as smoothly as possible and will make adjustments along the way to address real-time traffic conditions to make the corridor move more efficiently.”

About the I-580 Express Lanes: The I-580 Express Lanes are specially designed lanes created to improve the commute for all motorists along the approximately 14-mile Tri-Valley corridor in Alameda County through Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore. The I-580 Express Lanes are operated by the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) and are funded with federal, regional and local dollars, including an Alameda County sales tax measure. They are part of the Bay Area Express Lanes, a network that will include 550 miles of express lanes by 2035.

Follow the express lanes on Facebook.

Map courtesy Alameda County Transportation Committee