www.sdchamber.org

South Bay Expressway to Open November 19

San Diego’s First Toll Road to Kickoff Opening with Three-Day Celebration and Unprecedented Promotion:  Free Travel Until January 13, 2008!

South Bay Expressway, the highly anticipated 10-mile state-of-the-art toll road extending from SR 54 in Spring Valley to Otay Mesa Rd./SR 905 near the International Border crossing, today announced it will open to traffic in time for the holidays on Monday, November 19.  The opening of the South Bay Expressway is a significant regional and national event that will draw officials, press and industry professionals from across the country.  The Expressway’s opening will be preceded by a weekend of special events.

As a special thank-you to the community for their support, South Bay Expressway is offering an unprecedented promotion:  Anyone who opens a FasTrak® account with South Bay Expressway will receive FREE UNLIMITED driving on South Bay Expressway until midnight January 13, 2008.  Those who have already opened a South Bay Expressway FasTrak account will automatically receive this great deal!  To open a FasTrak account, visit www.southbayexpressway.com or call (619) 661-7070.

The three-day opening weekend kicks off with a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday morning, November 16, at 10am. State and local dignitaries will speak at the ceremony that will take place at the Birch Road interchange next to the Otay Ranch Town Center. 

Saturday, November 17, is the ”Grand Opening Celebration” and will begin at 8am. with a 15-mile Cycle Tour and Family Fun Walk/Run, food, bands, children’s activities and a classic car show. “We’re thrilled to be opening,” said South Bay Expressway CEO Greg Hulsizer.  “This road is a long-awaited new transportation service for the local community and the region. We’re looking forward to changing the way people travel in the South Bay by providing a reliable, scenic, stress free drive.”

Motorists traveling the new highway will be able to take advantage of the latest in high tech toll collection, which allows for tolls to be paid electronically while driving non-stop at highway speeds using a FasTrak® electronic transponder mounted on their vehicle.

Long hailed as a missing link in San Diego's freeway network, the Expressway is also expected to reduce traffic congestion on local surface streets and freeways. The highway will serve as an essential transportation asset to the already planned and approved commercial developments and housing communities under construction in the South Bay, one of the fastest growing regions in the country. It will facilitate social and economic activity within and across the South Bay area by making shopping, errands, and travel to friends, family and work faster and more efficient. 

A full schedule of Grand Opening activities will be available soon on www.southbayexpressway.com. To set up media tours the week of November 12, please contact Brendi Rawlin at (619) 549-3066 or by e-mail at brendi@thelimelightpr.com.

About South Bay Expressway

South Bay Expressway is a 10-mile express toll road that extends from SR 54 in Spring Valley to SR 905 near the International Border Crossing.  This exciting, new transportation alternative promises a fast, reliable and scenic drive, every time.  The new connection will connect the growing communities across Southeast San Diego County and provide convenient access to Downtown, Sorrento Valley, I-8, I-15 North, Otay Mesa and Mexico. The construction of this first class express toll road is being made possible through an innovative public/private partnership, and is one of the first roads of its kind in California and the U.S.  For more information, visit www.southbayexpressway.com.