MARTINEZ, Calif. – A ground-breaking ceremony this morning will mark the beginning of an 11-mile southbound express lane on Interstate-680 from Marina Vista Avenue in Martinez to Rudgear Road in Walnut Creek.
The project’s ceremony, by the Municipal Transportation Agency (MTA) and Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), will provide a continuous high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) and express lane from the Martinez-Benicia Bridge to the Contra Costa County-Alameda County line.
MTA and CCTA also are responsible for a similar northbound lane that shortens the gap between Livorna Road and State Road 242. According to information provided by the MTA, creating these lanes in both directions will encourage carpooling and provide access for express buses on the I-680 corridor.
The southbound lane project received environmental clearance Aug. 12, 2014, and design of the project started in March 2015. Construction is expected to be wrapped up next year, after which landscaping will start. The project should be complete in 2021.
Total project cost is $110 million, which includes project and construction management, preliminary studies, planning and design, obtaining right of way and utilities and construction.
Money for the project comes from Measure J transportation funding, Regional Measure 2 bridge tolls, CalTrans State Transportation and Regional Improvement Programs (STIP/RIP) and Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority (BAIFA).
The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. today at the Martinez-Benicia Bridge toll plaza.
