Within the next four years, getting across Los Angeles from the 605 to LAX is going to get a lot smoother. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), in partnership with the Caltrans, is enacting a plan to ease traffic and enhance safety on Interstate 105, featuring the conversion of the existing High-Occupancy Vehicle lanes into two dynamic ExpressLanes in each direction, aiming to reduce travel times by up to 50 percent. It will also improve reliability for trips to key destinations like Los Angeles International Airport, enhance safety, and direct net toll revenues to transit projects in communities along the corridor.
The project is part of Metro’s Twenty-Eight by ‘28 Initiative, which seeks to complete 28 transportation projects in advance of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The first segment of the I-105 ExpressLanes Project is expected to help improve freeway mobility during the Games as well as provide lasting benefits for Angelenos.
ExpressLanes enhance freeway operations and safety by improving traffic flow and reducing stop-and-go conditions. They also help reduce freeway overflow traffic onto nearby city streets, contributing to a smoother and more efficient transportation experience for both local communities and regional travelers.
Existing pavement is removed from I-105 during overnight work in preparation for the new pavement
ExpressLanes rates adjust based on real-time traffic conditions and are designed to achieve average speeds of 45 mph or more. Eligible carpools will continue to ride free, while other motorists will be able to pay a variable toll for faster and more reliable travel. Net toll revenues from ExpressLanes are reinvested into local transportation improvements that support transit, active transportation and infrastructure upgrades. These new Metro ExpressLanes will be available for use by all motorists; toll-free for carpools and through a paid toll for single-occupant motorists.
Traffic on the 105, currently at 285,000 vehicles a day, will be greatly eased and safety significantly enhanced by improving traffic flow and reducing stop-and-go conditions. The value derived from the project, in addition to the enhanced safety, is an increase in vehicle throughput by 71% and a reduction of vehicle hours of delay of 5,403 hours daily. Reducing the overflow traffic onto nearby city streets will also aid flow and safety.
In preparation for expansion work, the existing barrier on westbound I-105 is demolished.
Construction of the I-105 ExpressLanes Project is a joint venture by FlatironDragados and Myers & Sons Construction. Segment 1 has a value of $450 million. Segments 2 and 3 are budgeted at $550 million.
The I-105 corridor is 18.1 miles long and begins at Highway 1 in El Segundo near LAX, and extends east, crossing the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers, and intersecting the 405, 110, and 710 freeways before terminating just east of the 605 in Norwalk.
The new ExpressLanes are being constructed along 16.1 miles of the corridor and include 18 ingress/egress locations, two to three miles apart, plus new auxiliary lanes, soundwalls, and California Highway Patrol observation zones.
Falsework construction takes place at the widening of the Yukon Avenue overcrossing.
Construction began on Segment 1 in January of this year and encompasses the stretch of 105 from Sepulveda Boulevard to Central Avenue. Completion of this first segment is scheduled for December 2027. The new roadway pavement is being constructed with a Gomaco 2800 paver, and covers 12 lane miles, placing 28,500 cubic yards of jointed plain concrete pavement, all to be diamond ground.
Ancillary work includes landscape and tree removal, pavement and soundwall demolition, roadway and structure excavation, bridge widening, retaining wall construction, new soundwall construction, fiber optic installation, and overhead sign structure installation. The existing concrete is being recycled onsite by the FlatironDragados/Myers & Sons JV team by crushing it and using it as a Class 3 base in the project.
Work on Segments 2 and 3, which run from Central Avenue to Studebaker Road, is slated to begin in July 2026, with a targeted completion in December 2029.
Metro’s project team includes: James Wei, Project Manager; and Frank Hsieh, Construction Manager.
The FlatironDragados/Myers & Sons JV project team includes: George Butorovich, VP Operations; Martin Pettee, Project Director; Todd Kutin, Construction Manager; Glenn Polk, Segment Manager; Jeremy Schofield, Civil Manager; Ian Johnson, Structures Manager; and Basem Majali, Electrical Manager.