The I-10 and San Bernardino County
The Inland Empire, the metropolitan area in Southern California where the I-10 comes through, saw its first big growth period in the 1880s with the arrival of the railroad, and the importation of citrus trees, sparking a major citrus boom.
This growth continued through WWII, when the predecessor to the I-10, the Ramona Expressway was built. By the time the first section off the I-10 was completed in the 1960s, the Inland Empire was well on its way to becoming a major transportation network and shipping hub.
Toyota and Whirlpool established factories in the area, and Amazon launched a regional Amazon air hub. This translates into increased traffic, and potentially more air pollution for the surrounding communities.
Along with the tremendous growth in business has come a continuous expansion of the population. In San Bernardino County alone, the population is expected to grow 30% by 2035.
Today, the I-10 runs from California to Florida (more than 2,460 miles). Lane Construction’s work to modernize the I-10 Freeway in San Bernardino will give residents, workers and tourists the continued access they need to live and work in the Inland Empire.
Lane’s work on the I-10 Express Lanes
In addition to the improvements in traffic flow, Lane is replacing 8 bridges, improving 8 others with widening, and enhancing 2 more to increase throughput.
Additional drainage and rebar steel enforced concrete will make all drivers safer due to decreased braking time when it is raining, and a longer life span for the roadway. Help is on its way for the movement of people and goods in San Bernardino County.
Safety and Lane Construction: I-10 Corridor Express Lane
- 1 million employee hours without a lost time accident
- Approximately 500 personnel working on site (includes subs)
“The project is expected to reduce congestion and emissions, improve access to transit, improve safety, create jobs, and prepare for future growth in the area and at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.” – Transportation Today
Not just about traffic: sustainable innovation and improved quality of life
When it comes to battling air pollution, California is one of the most progressive states in the nation.
Thanks to continuous emission reduction initiatives over the past 30 years, levels of air pollutants have fallen in the state. The improvements being made to the I-10 are helping further California’s goals by reducing congestion and emissions.
Lastly, by enabling travel time savings and improved trip reliability, more companies and people will choose San Bernardino and the surrounding area to settle. Less time going to and from work means improving the quality of many lives.
Benefits
Benefits for life
The I-10 in San Bernardino is a significant bottleneck for people driving to all the amenities the city has to offer. Drivers who are traveling to these amenities share the I-10 Freeway with an estimated 263,000 commuters each day, many traveling to Los Angeles and Orange County. Commuters often face long commutes — around 2 hours in each direction.
As a part of this project, the added express lanes (two in each direction) on the I-10 will not only ease congestion, but will assist drivers getting on and off the highway with auxiliary lanes that better position drivers merging into traffic and exiting the highway.
It’s all about the benefits:
- Reduce traffic congestion to reduce air pollution
- Increase throughput to handle increasing population
- Enhance trip reliability and safety for all drivers
- Provide long-term congestion management of the corridor in the Inland Empire