Orange County’s Interstate 405 express lanes opened in late 2023 and are now generating an average of $3 million per month.
The $2 billion, 16-mile project primarily involved widening the freeway and reconstructing exit ramps and bridges with the goal of reducing traffic congestion on one of Southern California’s busiest corridors. Transportation officials are reporting the massive project appears to be working.
General lane travel times on the entire section of freeway have improved by 15% to 32% during weekday peak hours, or as much as 12 minutes, according to a report from the Orange County Transportation Authority, which compared data from October 2017 and October 2024. The express lanes themselves are moving 49% to 60% faster than the old — and free — carpool lanes during the weekday rush, saving as much as 22 minutes…