The US State of Minnesota has opened the I-35W express lanes in the Minneapolis metropolitan area.

The project involved converting high occupancy vehicle lanes into high occupancy toll lanes.

The project is considered one of the first in the country to make use of all lanes, including the shoulder, giving drivers an option to take a less congested route.

The work included converting narrow bus-only shoulder lanes into priced dynamic shoulder lanes to allow buses and high-occupancy vehicles to pass without fees. It also involved allowing low-occupancy vehicles to pass through without fees during peak times.

The corridor features electronic message signs to inform drivers about congestion conditions and parking availability for public transit users.

The US Department of Transportation provided $133.3m for the project.