Schedule
Summer 2012 – A Supplemental Draft EIR/EIS was released August 31 for a 45-day public review and comment period. A public meeting was held on September 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Encinitas Community and Senior Center located at 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive in Encinitas. The public meeting allowed community members to provide formal comments on the new items not contained in the original Draft EIR/EIS issued in 2010. Comments were due by October 15.
Summer 2013 – Final Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement released.
August 2014 – California Coastal Commission unanimously approved the Public Works Plan.
Late 2016 – Construction begins on the I-5 High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) extension. The project will add one HOV lane in each direction from Lomas Santa Fe Drive to State Route 78. The project includes the replacement of the highway bridge at San Elijo Lagoon.
Budget
The I-5 Express Lanes project is financed through a combination of federal, state and local funds and is part of TransNet, the voter approved, half-cent sales tax for transportation administered by SANDAG. The total highway project cost is estimated at $3.1 billion and will be constructed in phases from 2016 through 2040.