Officials Break Ground On New Border Crossing

SAN DIEGO — Crews are scheduled to break ground today on a new border crossing into Mexico for the San Diego area, a facility that officials hope will speed up border wait times across the region.

According to FOX5 San Diego, the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry and “accompanying toll road state Route 11, have been in the works for two decades. The border crossing is scheduled to open in 2024.”

The State Route 11/Otay Mesa East Port of Entry Project is a joint venture between the San Diego Association of Governments and Caltrans, in collaboration with state and federal partners in the U.S. and Mexico, Caltrans said in a recent news release.

Calling the port of entry, “a 21st century border crossing” for the San Diego-Baja California region, officials said the hope is the new crossing “will enhance regional mobility and fuel economic growth and binational trade.”

“The SR 11/OME POE project will facilitate job growth and new economic opportunities for private sectors on both sides of the border,” Caltrans said.

According to the FOX5 report, a four-lane toll road will connect directly to the port of entry, which will use a border wait-time detection system to give travelers advanced notice and help them plan their route.

Other features, such as lanes that shift from commercial processing to passenger traffic should lead to shorter wait times at all San Diego County border crossings, officials told Fox5.

“The proposed border improvements will provide fast, predictable, and secure border crossings,” officials wrote in the news release.

Read more at Fox5 San Diego.