Sacramento Region on the fast track to toll lanes.

For residents living in the Sacramento region, the question of whether toll lanes will be implemented is no longer a matter of if, but when.

Construction is expected to begin this month on the Yolo 80 Corridor Improvements Project, which will widen Interstate 80 from six to eight lanes between Kidwell Road in Dixon and West El Camino Avenue in Sacramento. The 17-mile project marks the introduction of the region’s first toll lanes and includes additional express lanes on U.S. Highway 50 between the I-80/US-50 split in West Sacramento and the I-5/US-50 interchange in Sacramento.

Yolo 80 Corridor Improvements Project Map

These express lanes will be free for carpools with three or more people and for buses, while solo drivers will have to pay a toll using a FasTrak transponder.

The California Transportation Commission approved $105 million for Phase 1 of the project in May 2024. Another $86 million in federal funds was secured in 2021 to support construction. The total project cost is estimated at $465 million.

Alongside state funding, the project’s environmental documentation was certified last year, and the Capital Area Regional Tolling Authority (CARTA) was officially granted authority to charge tolls in the new lanes.

CARTA is a joint powers authority formed in 2024 to oversee tolling infrastructure in the region. It was created by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, the Yolo Transportation District, and Caltrans District 3. The CARTA Board includes five voting directors—two from SACOG, two from YoloTD, and one from Caltrans District 3—as well as three non-voting members from other regional transportation agencies.

With CARTA’s structure now in place, regional officials are moving quickly to finalize tolling operations. In late 2024, YoloTD awarded a $1.77 million contract to Silicon Transportation Consultants for tolling advance planning, with work underway on key elements like technical system design, procurement planning, traffic modeling, and equity assessments. A formal bid to build the toll system is expected to go out this summer.

CARTA is now developing the operational framework for the new system and plans to finalize its full tolling policy later this year.

According to the latest CARTA board meetings, one challenging part of the project is the Yolo Causeway—the raised stretch of I-80 over wetlands between Davis and Sacramento. It’s known for being a traffic bottleneck and presents structural challenges for installing tolling infrastructure. The current open-access design lacks intermediate toll read points, making enforcement nearly impossible over that span and raising fears of revenue leakage and increased toll violations. Officials estimate revenue leakage on the Causeway could reach 10% to 15% without toll readers or better enforcement. To address that, planners are considering different options, such as using plastic pylons, painted stripes, or even concrete barriers to prevent drivers from switching lanes to dodge tolls. However, adding those features could increase costs and would require design approval.

I-80/Yolo Bypass Video (taken on 6/18/2024)

Outside the Causeway, the plan includes 14 tolling points—eight eastbound and six westbound—along the 17-mile corridor. The system is being designed with dynamic pricing in mind, adjusting tolls based on demand to maintain consistent travel times. The traffic and revenue analysis now underway will help shape those pricing models and forecast how much revenue the project might generate.

If this project proves successful, it could lead to more toll lanes in the Sacramento region. Another project, known as “Sac 5,” is being planned for Interstate 5 from downtown Sacramento to the Natomas area near the airport. That project is still in the early design phase, with construction planned for 2028.

The Yolo 80 Corridor Improvements Project is being pitched as a transportation upgrade that will help manage congestion by encouraging ridesharing, supporting public transit, and giving drivers and riders more efficient ways to move through the corridor.

CARTA hosts monthly board meetings where the public is encouraged to attend, learn about the latest developments, and share feedback. Public comment is welcomed during the meetings or can be submitted in writing ahead of time. As the region prepares for a new era of tolling, these meetings offer residents a direct opportunity to help shape the policies and priorities of the Sacramento area’s future express lane network.

CARTA Board Meeting Schedule: https://www.captollauthority.org/board-meetings