SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Officials broke ground Wednesday on a new path that will connect multiple freeways on a new route to a new Port of Entry in Otay Mesa.
The Caltrans project aims to link the new state Route 11 and connections to state Routes 125 and 905, with the connection road leading to the new Otay Mesa East Port of Entry.
The East POE project, which will cost approximately $800 million, is scheduled to be completed by 2021.
Caltrans Trade Corridor Director Mario Orso said, “It’s going to be about two years, so we’re going to ask the public for patience at Otay Mesa. We’re going to have some lane closures, some height limitations, and some noise for major bridges.”
The Otay Mesa East Port of Entry will include 27 northbound lanes and eight southbound lanes.
Additionally, Caltrans is installing a real-time border wait time system and a dynamic tolling option to help cut down on delays.
“We did studies in 2008 that showed we were losing a substantial amount of money due to border wait times and that has continued through time as the border volumes keep growing; we are losing a substantial amount of economic opportunity,” Orso said.
Caltrans says it is an international improvement project that will benefit both countries on the border.
