SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The border region is closer to the finish line on the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry project.
"There's no reason we can't get this done by 2023," said Ambassador Ken Salazar. "We need to get this thing done so we can have a great celebration."
Border region leaders planned to have construction complete by 2024. The ambitious goal of the project's completion by 2023 could soon be a reality with Mexico clearing 90% of the rights of way on the roadway for their end of the project.
"This is obviously very, very important and is proceeding with the design and construction on the Mexican side of the border. As you can see it's started on our side," said Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis.
Construction is wrapping up on State Route 11. The toll road that will emerge from the Port of Entry.
One of the next steps of the project is knocking down the border barrier between Tijuana and Otay Mesa to construct the entryway of the port. Caltrans Corridor Project Director Mario Orso said that step should begin in June.
Orso added that funding is pushing ahead as well.
"We have selected who is going to be an entity that is going to help us share the revenues. It's going to be the North American Development Bank, which is a binational bank in which the federal government of the U.S. and Mexico own," he explained.
The State of California earmarked $42.5 million on the project.
It will include 27 northbound lanes and eight southbound lanes at the U.S.-Mexico border. Caltrans will also install a real-time border wait time system and a new tolling option.
These major updates are pushing the border region closer to its goal of curbing long border wait times for travelers and bolstering cross-border trade.
