I-680 Express Lane Tolls To Start From Martinez To Walnut Creek

MARTINEZ, CA — Tolling operations for the new 11-mile Express Lane along southbound Interstate 680 from Martinez through Walnut Creek will begin at 5 a.m. Friday, Aug. 20, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission announced Tuesday.

Currently, the stretch of I-680 from Marina Vista Boulevard in Martinez to Rudgear Road in Walnut Creek operates as a traditional carpool lane. Linking the existing Express Lane from Rudgear Road in Walnut Creek to Alcosta Boulevard in San Ramon will create a continuous 22-mile southbound I-680 Express Lane through Contra Costa County, the MTC said in a news release.

Express Lanes operate 5 a.m.-8 p.m. on weekdays. Tolls rise as traffic increases and fall as traffic declines.

Drivers must have a FasTrak toll tag to use the Express Lane. Solo drivers pay the full toll, while carpools with two or more people, vanpools, buses and motorcycles travel toll-free with a FasTrak Flex toll tag set to the 2 or 3+ position.

Solo drivers of eligible clean-air vehicles —CAVs — pay half-price tolls with a FasTrak CAV toll tag.

According to the MTC, Express Lanes are designed to keep traffic moving reliably without congestion and to encourage travelers to carpool or use transit to get a free and faster trip.