I-680 Express Lanes Open In October

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — Drivers with a FasTrak will soon be able enjoy a faster trip on I-680 between Dublin and Walnut Creek beginning this October. Transit authorities said the project, is the first in a series of improvements planned by MTC, Caltrans and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority to help relieve congestion in the I-680 corridor.

“The opening of the Express Lanes will allow solo drivers in either direction to use these lanes if they choose to pay a toll that varies based on real-time traffic conditions,” Metropolitan Transportation Commission officials said in a statement. “Access to the lanes will remain toll-free for carpools and vanpools with two or more occupants, buses, motorcycles and qualifying clean air vehicles.”

The carpool lanes will convert to express lanes on October 9. Officials said the southbound lane starts at Rudgear Road in Walnut Creek and ends at Alcosta Boulevard. in San Ramon. The northbound lane starts before Alcosta Boulevard and ends at Livorna Road in Alamo. Drivers will be able to enter and exit the express lanes at will.

Solo drivers can pay their tolls in the I-680 Contra Costa Express Lanes by using either a standard FasTrak toll tag or a FasTrak Flex toll tag set in the “1” position. Carpoolers, motorcyclists and drivers of clean air vehicles must use the FasTrak Flex toll tag to travel toll free. Carpoolers set the tag to the number of people in the car (“2” or “3+”); while motorcyclists and drivers of qualifying clean air vehicles set the tag to the “3+” position. FasTrak Flex toll tags activate beacons to alert California Highway Patrol officers that a driver has identified his or her car as a toll-free vehicle.

“Express Lane tolls may change every few minutes according to demand,” officials said. “Tolls will rise as traffic increases, and fall as traffic ebbs. This allows solo drivers to decide if the travel time savings is worth the price. Electronic signs will show one or two destinations and the current toll to travel to each. The top price indicates the toll to travel to the end of the current toll zone and the bottom price is the toll to travel to the end of the Express Lane. Only a single price will be shown if the current zone is the last of the two zones in each direction.”

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