11 miles of carpool lanes on the 60 Freeway formally open Thursday

Officials on Thursday will formally open 11 miles of carpool lanes added in a $100-million widening of the 60 Freeway in the San Gabriel Valley.

The new lanes run between the 605 and 57 freeways. The 60 Freeway is a key artery for truck traffic from the ports as well as for commuters into central Los Angeles.

According to Caltrans, more than 240,000 vehicles a day use that stretch of freeway.

The 60 Freeway, offically called the Pomona Freeway, has become the preferred route for trucks headed to Inland Empire warehouses and distribution centers, where goods are sorted before being sent all over the country.

Caltrans says completion of the project brings the total length of carpool lanes in the L.A. region to 500 miles, with more than 330,000 vehicles using them daily. Carpool lanes are now being added on the 405 Freeway through the Sepulveda Pass.

-- Shelby Grad

Graphic: Caltrans