[Caltrans] – Just in time for Christmas travel, the California Department of Transportation on Sunday opened a new elevated high occupancy vehicle (HOV, or carpool) lane connector between Interstate 5 (I-5) and the Antelope Valley Freeway (SR-14).

The HOV connector allows motorists using the I-5 and SR-14 HOV lanes to transfer between freeways without exiting the carpool lane. Benefits include reduced congestion, improved traffic flow, enhanced safety and improved traffic operations on both freeways.

Construction crews worked around the clock, often in difficult weather conditions, to open the connector before Christmas. An average of 354,000 motorists use the I-5/SR-14 interchange every day.

The connector is part of a $175.8 million project that is also adding 1.8 miles of HOV lanes to the I-5/SR-14 interchange area; constructing major retaining walls; and widening the West Sylmar overhead bridge, the Sierra Highway undercrossing, the southbound I-5 Truck Route undercrossing, and the mixed-flow connectors between I-5 and SR-14.