Carpool lanes will be turned into express lanes along the I-105 for 2028 Olympics

Local elected officials, along with L.A Metro and Caltrans, celebrated the groundbreaking of the $1.5 billion I-105 ExpressLanes Project on Friday morning.

It will convert 16 miles of the existing carpool lanes into two ExpressLanes in each direction between I-405 and I-605 in South Los Angeles.

Sharon Gookin, deputy CEO with L.A. Metro said the I-105 express lanes will be transformative for everyone who travels along this busy corridor every day. 

“The first segment from I-405 to Central Avenue will be completed ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and that will be so important for everyone using the 105 to get to and from the LAX airport,” she said. “But beyond the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, this project will leave a lasting legacy for everyone who lives, works and plays in the gateway cities, South L.A. and South Bay cities [and] regions.” 

The I-105 Project will improve access not only to LAX airport but also the SoFi Stadium and other key destinations and future Olympic and Paralympic venues. It will also serve several communities in the 16-mile corridor, which include El Segundo, Inglewood, South Gate and Downey. 

Fernando Dutra, Whittier councilman and member of the Los Angeles County Metro Board, said as a builder he understands the incredible difficulties that Metro has faced to make it happen, but he is glad to know that the project is expected to be on-time and on budget.

Dutra said there will be real benefits to the Gateway city residents because the 

Gateway cities are crisscrossed by congested highways, and suffer from a lot of pollution as a result. Some of these cities include Norwalk, Downey, Santa Fe Springs, Pico Rivera, Whittier, Industry, South El Monte, El Monte and Baldwin Park.

“We know that with this project, one of the most important highways, the 105, will now have Express Lanes to promote traffic reduction and carpooling,” he said. 

Dutra explained that a portion of the money collected from the Express Lanes will be reinvested into the transit corridor. And that is good news because the money goes back to the Gateway cities. 

Gloria Roberts, Caltrans district director region 7, said 10 years ago Metro was able to prove how the Fast Track was effective. 

“Caltrans is a proud partner with Metro on this project, providing oversight for a transportation solution that will ease construction along the I-105, which is a heavily traveled road,” she said. 

Gookin said some of the objectives are to reduce commute times by up to 50% for motorists and transit users, improve efficiency of the general purpose lanes, provide commuters with more reliable transportation options and reinvest millions of dollars for toll revenue back into the nearby communities to improve streets transit and safety.

The remaining segments, from Central Avenue to Studebaker Road, will be completed in 2029.