Officials on both sides of the San Ysidro Port of Entry celebrated the official opening of the newest phase in the cross-border traffic project Monday while promising more to come.
Drivers will no longer wait in line for hours at the world's busiest border crossing, U.S. government officials said.
The newly completed Phase 1B expands the port’s capacity to 25 northbound vehicle lanes with 46 primary, double sacked, inspection booths and includes a secondary inspection area canopy and construction of a new headhouse building for CBP operations.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday on the U.S.-Mexico border to commemorate the completion of Phase 1B of the project.
Multiple speakers from both the U.S. and Mexico attended the ceremony, including San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Tijuana Mayor Jorge Astiazaran.
Since opening for testing in mid-September, the project has already reduced northbound vehicle traffic and improved efficiency, officials said adding that the additional lanes have dramatically decreased wait times.
Travelers no longer need to wait for two to four hours during peak periods. The new construction reduces wait times to as little as 40 minutes, according to Traci R. Madison, Regional Public Affairs Officer & Communications Manager.
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Madison said on that work on Phase 1B which took years in the making has finally come to an end. Still, more work on Phase 1D is in the process including a pedestrian facility and transit center near Virginia Avenue.
“Also funded is Phase 3. It includes the realignment of I-5 south freeway to El Chaparral as well as seven additional northbound lanes and 14 inspection booths,” said Madison.
“Phase 2 which includes administrative facilities and new pedestrian building on the east side of the port, is currently not funded. It was included in the President's budget for 2015 and is awaiting approval by congress,” Madison adds.
The border crossing is estimated to have an 87 percent increase in vehicle traffic in San Ysidro by 2030, according to the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) . To adjust that growth, GSA is conducting a complete reconfiguration and expansion of the port.
