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A new express lane on southbound Interstate 680 in the Tri-Valley opened to traffic Friday along nine miles between San Ramon and Sunol.
The added lane runs from Alcosta Boulevard south to Highway 84. It won’t have tolls charged until more work on the project is completed later this year, according to the Alameda County Transportation Commission, which serves as the county’s traffic congestion management agency.
“This new segment will provide smoother, more predictable trips for drivers every day, strengthening a regional corridor while improving the quality of life for people who travel here each day to get to work and return home to their families,” said Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert, chair of the commission and president of the Board of Supervisors.
Construction on the $328 million project began in 2023 and was funded through a combination of local, regional and state sources, including a sales tax in Alameda County. It closes a gap in the express lane system on the southbound side of I-680 between Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
“This project delivers real benefits for drivers today,” Alameda CTC Executive Director Tony Tavares said in a statement Friday. “It also delivers on the promise we made to Alameda County voters when they passed Measure BB. This smart investment improves how people move through Alameda County and the greater region.”
Another express lane will be installed on the northbound side of the same stretch of freeway, though the construction will take place at a date yet to be determined, according to the county commission.
“That project is still in project development and does not have funding secured at this time to advance into construction,” Carolyn Clevenger, Alameda CTC deputy executive director of planning and policy, told the Pleasanton Weekly.
More information about the project can be found at alamedactc.org.
Editor’s note: Pleasanton Weekly editorial director Jeremy Walsh contributed to this story.
