The San Diego international border at San Ysidro is undergoing renovations designed to enhance Mexico’s output and decrease traffic congestion. Consisting of three phases with a current cost of $577 million, the project began in December 2009 with the construction of the new pedestrian bridge across Interstate 5 allowing, pedestrians to cross from the trolley station, to the Mexican pedestrian crossing.
According to the U.S. General Services Administration, the San Ysidro international border, the busiest land border crossing in the western hemisphere, are because of the need to renovate the building was built in the 1970s and needs the renovations to adjust to the region’s growing number of individuals crossing the border.
GSA reports 50,000 cars and 25,000 pedestrians cross into San Diego every day.
The San Diego Association of Government estimates there will be an 87 percent increase in northbound traffic by 2030.
“I used that San Ysidro border entry before. I now cross through Otay Mesa Port of Entry,” San Diego State senior Alberto Montañez said. “Regularly, people who cross through the San Ysidro Port of Entry last 30-40 minutes more than I do because the construction has closed several lanes.”
Phase 1B consists of the demolition of the existing border building and the construction of northbound inspection areas and additional inspection booths, to provide two booths per lane. This phase will also expand the construction of new northbound lanes in substitution of the southbound lanes currently serving as the Tijuana Border entry to Mexico.
The demolition of the old building is partially complete. The primary and secondary inspection areas are not yet completed. These areas are projected to cover 110,000 square feet.
The new San Ysidro border will expand from 24 operating lanes to 62 northbound lanes. This will consist of the closure of the current Tijuana border entry, “Puerta Mexico,” at the end of the I-5. The complete San Ysidro border will cover the entire northbound lanes currently in service with the additional eight lanes from Puerta Mexico, which will be permanently northbound lanes.
The new border entry to Tijuana is expected to open on Nov. 1. This location, known as “El Chaparral,” will increase capability from eight operational lanes from Puerta Mexico to 22 operational lanes.
“But lets hope we can see the positive outcomes, even though they might not work on it too long,” SDSU student Mayra Gabriela Hernandez said.“The crossing has become unpredictable, and longer than normal regular working days.”
According to Mexico’s Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes and studies by the GSA, the new Mexican port of entry will significantly reduce traffic during peak travel hours
The I-5 will be shifted in its entirety to the right, where the old Mexican pedestrian entry was, to feed the traffic to the new Mexican port of entry.
Phase 1C consisted of shifting the pedestrian port of entry to Tijuana from the western side of the border to the eastern side behind the former Greyhound building. This pedestrian entry to Tijuana was opened Sept. 24, 2012.
Phase 2 consists of the new Administration & Pedestrian building and phase 3 is the I-5 South & Southbound Inspection facilities construction. These two phases await government approval and funding.
