The I-15 Express Lanes run 20 miles from SR 78 in Escondido to SR 163 in San Diego. Now fully operational, the Express Lanes keep travelers moving at free-flow speeds and will soon offer new and exciting transit options along this heavily traveled corridor.

The Express Lanes system is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Carpoolers, vanpoolers, public transit vehicles, motorcyclists and those driving permitted clean air vehicles can use these lanes for free. Solo drivers can use the Express Lanes by paying a toll via a FasTrak® account. To get one, visit 511sd.com/fastrak.

Some of the more innovative designs and features of this state-of-the-art freeway system include:

• Concrete barriers that separate the Express Lanes from the main lane traffic from SR 163 to Via Rancho Parkway for 16 miles, creating a true expressway. Double yellow lines separate Express Lanes from main lanes between Via Rancho Parkway and SR 78.

• A moveable median barrier that allows the number of Express Lanes to increase to three lanes in one direction for the 16-mile stretch where the barriers are located to help traffic flow during peak travel periods and to relieve congestion caused by traffic accidents and other incidents.

• Intermediate Access Points that provide direct access from the main lanes to the Express Lanes approximately every two to three miles. That makes it simple to enter and exit the system.

• Direct Access Ramps (DARs) that allow immediate access to the I-15 Express Lanes for Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Express Bus service, carpools and vanpools, permitted clean air vehicles, and solo drivers using a FasTrak® account. The DARs eliminate the need to travel over multiple lanes of traffic to enter and exit the Express Lanes, creating a more efficient and reliable travel system. DARs are located in Escondido at Hale Avenue and Del Lago and in San Diego at Rancho Bernardo and Sabre Springs. A fifth one, in Mira Mesa, will start construction in the summer of 2012 and is anticipated to be open in 2014.

• Future High-Frequency Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Service: This vastly enhanced and convenient public transit system will connect the communities in the corridor to regional destinations and the transit stations that accommodate it.

The total cost for the freeway improvements, including expansion of FasTrak® and the transit elements of the I-15 Express Lanes, is $1.3 billion. Funding for these improvements came from TransNet, a half-cent sales tax approved by San Diego County voters in 2004, and other state and federal funds.

The I-15 Express Lanes FasTrak® tolling account system is operated by SANDAG. The current commuter Express Bus service and future BRT service is operated by MTS.