A new express lane along an 11-mile stretch of southbound Interstate 680 from Martinez through Walnut Creek will begin charging tolls next month, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission announced.

The tolling operations will begin at 5 a.m. on Aug. 20 and will connect with the existing 11-mile express lane from Rudgear Road in Walnut Creek to Alcosta Boulevard in San Ramon, according to the MTC.

To use the express lane, drivers must have a FasTrak toll tag, with carpoolers needing a FasTrak Flex toll tag set to the 2 or 3+ position. People driving solo can pay a half-price toll if they have eligible clean-air vehicles and have a FasTrak CAV toll tag.

The express lane operates from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. and tolls fluctuate depending on the level of traffic on the highway.

People can visit 511.org to learn more about the express lanes or to sign up for FasTrak.

(Video courtesy of 511.org/YouTube)

Dan McMenamin is the managing editor at Bay City News, directing daily news coverage of the 12-county greater Bay Area. He has worked for BCN since 2008 and has been managing editor since 2014 after previously serving as BCN’s San Francisco bureau reporter. A UC Davis graduate, he came to BCN after working for a newspaper and nonprofit in the Davis area. He handles staffing, including coaching of our interns, day-to-day coverage decisions and management of the newswire.