Q: Jeremy Gauchay of Fontana asked for an update on when the express lanes on the 10 Freeway in San Bernardino County will open and also when work will begin on the 15 Freeway Express Lanes, as well as the length of those lanes.
A: Work is continuing on San Bernardino County’s first phase of the toll lanes on the 10 Freeway.
“We are targeting an opening of the new lanes later this summer,” said Tim Watkins, spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. An exact date has not yet been set, he said, as “final construction and testing” of the lanes and toll equipment continues.
SBCTA and its toll processing partner, The Toll Roads, recently opened a public walk-in center in Rancho Cucamonga City Hall for the community to get customer service help when needed, Watkins said.
SBCTA’s 33-mile 10 Freeway project is being done in three phases.
The first phase is 10 miles from the Los Angeles County line to the 15 Freeway and is under construction.
Vehicles travel on the 10 Freeway through Upland on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, near the soon to be completed express lanes. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)
The second phase stretches 11.1 miles from the 15 Freeway to Pepper Avenue in Colton and construction is expected to start this year.
The final phase is 12 miles from Pepper Avenue to Ford Street in Redlands.
A FasTrak account will be required. Drivers without a FasTrak account will be able to pay tolls online within five days of their trip. More details about the project are at https://www.gosbcta.com/project/i-10-corridor-project-phase-i/.
The toll lanes project on the 15 has been put out for bids, Watkins said. Eight miles of express lanes will be built — one or two express lanes in each direction — beginning just north of Foothill Boulevard in San Bernardino County connecting to the 15 Freeway Express Lanes, just south of the 60 in Riverside County.
“Our plan is to award the contract in September/October with a goal of starting construction by the end of the year. This is expected to be a three-plus year project, so the public can anticipate the new lanes to be in service in 2028.”
Details and a fact sheet are at https://www.gosbcta.com/project/i-15-corridor/.
New DMV online option
The Department of Motor Vehicles now offers its “no-fail” eLearning Driver’s License Renewal course in Spanish. On the Road previously wrote about this as an option for senior citizen drivers to renew their driver’s license in lieu of taking the knowledge test at the DMV office. The interactive eLearning course includes seven modules with quizzes after each and can be taken on a computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile device. Each quiz can be taken multiple times, making it a no-fail exam option. The eLearning course has been available in English since 2022.
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After completing the approximately 45-minute course, drivers may have to visit a DMV office to finalize their renewal by providing the required identity and residency documents, taking a photo, providing a thumbprint, completing a vision screening, and receiving their license. The next language that the DMV plans to offer for eLearning translation is Chinese but no date has been set.
Do you commute to work in the Inland Empire? Spend a lot of time in your vehicle? Have questions about driving, freeways, toll roads or parking? If so, write or call On the Road and we’ll try to answer your questions. Please include your question or issue, name, city of residence, phone number and email address. Write ontheroad@scng.com or call us at our new phone number, 951-368-9995.
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