As most of you know, the phrase “good news” is not often associated with the phrase “405 freeway.”

But every so often, a ray of sunshine breaks through the gloom, tears and frustration. That was the case on Monday morning, when Caltrans opened the southbound carpool lane on the 405 between the Santa Monica Freeway and the 90 freeway.

The HOV lane was built as part of a five-year, $167-million project to build carpool lanes on both sides of the 405 between the 90 and the 10. The northbound carpool lanes should be open within a couple of weeks, according to Caltrans officials.

But the fun of freeway construction doesn’t end there. As the above
Caltrans map shows, the northbound 405 between the 10 and the 101 — the stretch including the Sepulveda Pass — still lacks a carpool lane. A billion-dollar project to complete the lane by 2013 is underway, with Metro, Caltrans and the city of Los Angeles combining on the effort.

Pre-construction activities have begun and Metro officials say that construction in earnest is set to begin this winter. It’s a monster project. Three bridges over the freeway need to be replaced and 20 entrance and exit ramps need to be realigned, among other improvements.