USDOT Awards Metro $25 Million for SR-71 Gap Closure Phase 2

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced on October 7, 2026, that it awarded the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) a $25 million grant through the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects (INFRA) program. The funding will advance Phase 2 of the State Route 71 (SR-71) Gap Closure Project in Pomona, California. Metro said the work will complete the final phase of improvements to the corridor, including closing a two-mile gap in the HOV system. The grant supports a significant regional transportation project, but the announcement does not identify a solicitation, selected construction contractor, procurement schedule, or future contract value.

The planned roadway configuration adds one high-occupancy vehicle lane and one mixed-flow lane in each direction. Once completed, the project is intended to create more than 15 miles of HOV lanes and improve connections among Los Angeles County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County. SR-71 connects the I-10 and SR-60 east-west freight routes and serves both commuters and a major goods-movement region. Metro describes the corridor as an important link for freight moving between the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the eastern part of Los Angeles County.

Freight-related construction is a central part of the project scope. The plan calls for elevating two bridges along SR-71 to enable container stacking at and from the ports, alongside roadway work and other corridor improvements. Additional elements include replacing a pedestrian overcrossing, constructing retaining walls and sound walls, and installing landscaping. These elements point to potential future requirements across highway construction, bridge engineering, freight mobility, structures, traffic management, and community-impact mitigation. However, the grant announcement provides no procurement packaging or contracting approach, so vendors should treat these as anticipated project components rather than confirmed bid packages.

For contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers, the immediate value of the announcement is advance visibility into a publicly funded project pipeline. Metro said the project is funded in part by Measure M, while the $25 million INFRA award is federal support for Phase 2; the award should not be interpreted as the total project budget or as the value of any single contract. The INFRA program funds multimodal freight and highway projects of national or regional significance, with goals that include improving safety, efficiency, and reliability for freight and people. Metro says the project is expected to reduce travel times, improve public safety by reducing collisions, and encourage economic development in a regionally and nationally significant industrial corridor with a growing logistics industry. Firms can monitor Metro announcements and future procurement postings, assess relevant qualifications, and prepare teaming strategies without assuming a bid date has been set.

• USDOT awarded $25 million through the INFRA program to advance Phase 2 of the SR-71 Gap Closure Project; the announcement is dated October 7, 2026.
• The project is located in Pomona, California, and is led by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro).
• Phase 2 is planned to close a two-mile gap in the HOV system and add one HOV lane and one mixed-flow lane in each direction.
• The completed corridor is expected to provide more than 15 miles of HOV lanes and better connections among Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.
• Two bridges are planned for elevation to enable container stacking and support freight movement connected to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
• Other identified work includes replacing a pedestrian overcrossing, constructing retaining walls and sound walls, and installing landscaping.
• Potential supplier and contractor areas include roadway construction, bridge upgrades, freight-mobility improvements, structures, and related corridor work; no bid packages are specified.
• The announcement names no contractors and provides no solicitation, bid dates, procurement schedule, or contract award for construction work.
• The grant is federal support for Phase 2 and is not identified as the project’s total budget or the value of any future contract; Metro also notes funding in part from Measure M.
• Metro cites reduced travel times, fewer collisions, and economic development in a growing logistics corridor as expected project benefits.