Mar. 25—Construction is underway on 3.5 miles of center-running lanes on Holt Boulevard in Ontario for the future West Valley Connector, a rapid bus system that promises travelers an alternative to the freeways between San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.
Crews are restriping and shifting all lanes of traffic to the south on Holt Boulevard between Grove and Corona avenues to create a protected work area for workers as they widen the westbound roadway to accommodate the new center-running lane for the project, also known as a Bus Rapid Transit system, said Tim Watkins, chief of legislative and public affairs for the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.
Construction on the westbound lanes will take about 10 months. Two lanes will be maintained in each direction of Holt during this time but street parking will not be available.
Once work is complete on the westbound lanes, crews will shift traffic north to the newly constructed lanes and crews will perform the same work in the opposite direction to accommodate the widening of the eastbound roadway, said Watkins.
Once the project is complete there will be two lanes maintained in each direction in addition to the dedicated BRT center lane.
Construction on the center lane is expected to take place generally between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays with additional intermittent night work and possible nighttime closures, Watkins said.
SBCTA will have schedule updates available online at gosbcta.com.
Placement of concrete barriers is expected to take place overnight Monday and Tuesday, March 25-26.
"As with any construction project where there is active work and new lane configurations, delays should be expected," Watkins said in an email Wednesday, March 20. "Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead, leave early, and follow construction signage during their commutes."
Construction on the West Valley Connector Project began in January 2024. Crews have already performed vegetation removal, utility work, and potholing to prepare for construction activities to widen Holt, Watkins said.
Additionally, he said, work is taking place in the cities of Pomona, Montclair and Rancho Cucamonga to construct new side stations along the BRT route.
The first phase of the project includes a 19-mile rapid bus route that will connect San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties featuring 21 stops between Rancho Cucamonga and Pomona. Eventually, the West Valley Connector will extend to Fontana.
The first phase of the project is estimated to cost $262.67 million. In April 2021, the transportation authority received an $87 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration to cover about one-third of the project's costs.
Construction of the Rancho Cucamonga-to-Pomona route is expected to wrap up by spring 2026 with service beginning shortly thereafter, according to SBCTA. The second phase of the project would be built some time in the future along Haven Avenue and connect with Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fontana.
The West Valley Connector is the second rapid transit system in San Bernardino County operated by Omnitrans, the county's public transit agency. A 16-mile line opened between San Bernardino and Loma Linda in 2014.
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