TransCore has announced the successful go-live of express lane operations along an 18-mile stretch of Interstate 80 (I-80) through Fairfield and Vacaville in Solano County, California, USA, expanding its footprint across the Bay Area’s managed lane network.
The new I-80 Solano County Express Lanes began operating on Tuesday 16 December 2025, converting existing carpool lanes in both directions between Red Top Road in Fairfield and the Interstate 505 junction in Vacaville into express lanes with dynamic tolling.
According to TransCore, the corridor is the fourth express lane project it has delivered for the Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority (BAIFA) since 2017.
The scheme was developed in partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Solano Transportation Authority, with the aim of improving mobility, enhancing travel-time reliability and supporting emergency response access on one of the Bay Area’s busiest regional routes.
Andrew Fremier, executive director at MTC, said: “We’re excited to open the Solano I-80 Express Lanes. This project builds on our longstanding partnership with TransCore and advances our shared commitment to meaningful mobility improvements.”
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TransCore provided tolling system integration for the corridor, deploying roadside toll collection technology that supports automatic vehicle identification (AVI) and automatic licence plate recognition (ALPR).
The system is designed to support accurate detection and tolling for express lane users including carpools, vanpools, buses, motorcycles and solo drivers using FasTrak or FasTrak Flex tags.
Dynamic pricing is in place, with toll rates adjusting in real time based on traffic conditions and displayed on overhead digital signs for each toll zone.
MTC notes that the express lanes operate daily from 5am to 8pm, with vehicles carrying three or more occupants able to use the lanes toll-free during operating hours when using a correctly set FasTrak Flex transponder, while two-person carpools pay a discounted rate and solo drivers pay the full toll.
Whitt Hall, president and chief executive officer of TransCore, said the company’s work with BAIFA and delivery partners is focused on “more reliable trips” and helping customers manage congestion, improve safety and keep traffic moving.
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