United States

San Ysidro POE Reopen, Hours Sooner Than Expected

After a weekend closure, southbound traffic from the U.S. into Mexico was flowing again Monday through the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

Southbound Interstate 5 and 805 reopen to traffic at the San Ysidro Port of Entry at midnight, 12 hours earlier than originally expected, the U.S. General Services Administration said. One lane will remain closed for construction.

The southbound freeways were closed over the weekend for construction on the GSA’s modernization and expansion project and were originally expected to stay closed until noon Monday. 

"GSA would like to thank its partners at Caltrans, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, San Diego Police and the California Highway Patrol for their support during the closure," said Anthony Kleppe, GSA LPOE Program Manager. "GSA also thanks the traveling public for their patience this weekend as we completed crucial work on the roadway.”

San Ysidro is the busiest land border crossing in the world. 

On Monday, southbound lanes will narrow to three from five while Interstate 5 is realigned to feed into a renovated arrival point. U.S. officials expect traffic flows to go back to normal by Thanksgiving, when four lanes will be open.

Once complete in 2019, there will be 10 southbound lanes -- twice the current number-- to handle the estimated 40,000 vehicles that pass through San Ysidro on weekends. The expansion also adds eight more lanes from Mexico to the United States.

The work is believed to represent the largest renovation of a crossing along the nearly 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border. It has been in the works for years to ease congestion and boost cross-border commerce.

For more information visit GSA’s website.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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