OC driving may get easier as carpool construction ends

SEAL BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Years of carpool lane construction in Orange County are about to come to an end.

For four years, drivers have endured construction detours. But workers are just about finished.

Next week, new bridges linking the carpool lanes on the 405 with the 22 and 605 freeways will open, and carpoolers will no longer have to leave the HOV lanes to change freeways.

The project cost nearly $300 million. It also adds a second carpool lane on the 405 in both directions between the 22 and the 605.

Watch Eileen Frere's report in the video above.

Schedule for opening the connectors:

For more information about the closures and detours, visit www.octa.net/wccdetourmap.