OTAY MESA, Calif. (KGTV) — Travelers in our border region are one step closer to a little less congestion when traveling between San Diego and Tijuana. Crews are set to start construction on the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry.
This ceremonial moment is a very real step towards revolutionizing how people and products get across the border.
"It feels like we're reaching a major milestone as we're finishing all the roadways and now focus on the port of entry itself," said Mario Orso, chief deputy director at CALTRANS.
The new port is where the newly built extension of state route eleven ends and will bring shorter wait times, lower greenhouse gas emissions, the newest border security technology, and even more cross-border commerce.
For the district's supervisor, Chair Nora Vargas, it means connecting the community and even offering some more opportunities.
"As someone who was a child that waited at the border to be able to cross, to be able to go to school. I'm so excited that the border wait time won't be so much. It was hard to do after-school programs because you had to wait for many hours," said Vargas.
The new port will serve trucks bringing goods across the border and those paying a toll.
SANDAG estimates without it- wait times for trucks would be over six hours long by 2040, but with its enhanced screening and processing, trucks will only have to wait about 40 minutes.
It will also move trucks away from the region's other ports means shorter waits for passenger cars.
"This is the last port of entry that's going to be built in the San Diego-Tijuana region. It's the footprint we've acquired to grow to grow this port of entry for the next century is bigger than San Ysidro and Otay together," said Orso.
The port is expected to be done in late 2024.
