For the 35,000 motorists who drive past San Ysidro into Mexico each day, life could soon change dramatically.
A high-ranking Mexican official said this week that President Felipe Calderón’s administration is holding firm to its plan to open the new,
state-of-the-art El Chaparral port of entry by November and route all southbound vehicular traffic through that facility.
Sean Carlos Cázares Ahearne, deputy director general of border affairs for Mexico’s Foreign Ministry, said in an interview that “we will begin
operations as soon as the port is finished in October.”
Cázares’ comments during a stop in San Diego laid out in the open a discussion that had taken place largely through diplomatic notes and
behind-the-scenes negotiations.
“Leaving the current port open ... is not an option,” Cázares said, because within two months Mexico intends to start expansion of its northbound
crossing lanes that lead into San Ysidro. The project involves turning the existing southbound lanes into northbound ones, he said.
To funnel vehicles to the new port, Cázares said Mexico will reroute all traffic through a temporary, five-lane connection that involves a sharp turn.
Critics of this strategy say the curve will cause major traffic delays.
While applauding construction of the new facility, members of the Baja California business community have vigorously protested the plan to close the
six existing southbound lanes this fall.
By relying solely on the temporary connection, “the biggest fear is that we will have a problem going into Mexico, and that will affect the economy on
both sides of the border,” said Oscar Escobedo, a member of the Tijuana Economic Development Council and a former state tourism secretary. He is
serving as spokesman for the private sector on the El Chaparral issue.
“Closing that down would be very unwise,” said Tijuana attorney José M. Larroque, co-chairman of the Smart Border Coalition, a binational group that
advocates for more efficient crossings. “Certainly it would be a slap in the face to the Tijuana community if they decide to create that havoc on the
border.”
[Edited on 6-11-2012 by BajaNomad]Ateo - 6-9-2012 at 09:21 AM
This story is nothing but a very basic update to an earlier article posted by another Nomad....same PDF and timeline, the only addition being that
they're seriously looking to open in November!Terry28 - 6-9-2012 at 09:27 AM
Two words of advice to avoid this cluster**** Otay Mesa.....Bajaboy - 6-9-2012 at 09:28 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by ateo
This story is nothing but a very basic update to an earlier article posted by another Nomad....same PDF and timeline, the only addition being that
they're seriously looking to open in November!
Another good reason why I don't subscribe....what a joke of a newspaper....DianaT - 6-9-2012 at 01:29 PM
I missed something and cannot find old postings. Where is this new crossing going to be?willardguy - 6-9-2012 at 02:38 PM
its just a few blocks west of the current crossing, on the other side of the outlet mallBajaNomad - 6-9-2012 at 02:58 PM
Quote:
Originally posted by DianaT
I missed something and cannot find old postings.
SAN YSIDRO (CNS) - "The government of Mexico is pressing ahead with plans to relocate its border station at Tijuana in October, but the U.S.
government has no reciprocal plans to move Interstate 5's connection to hook up with the new Port of Entry to Mexico, it was reported Saturday.
The normal construction and congestion at the busiest border crossing in the world may turn to chaos this fall, when drivers in five southbound lanes
will face the first part of a tight, Z-shaped turn just inside Mexico, a temporary road that jogs a quarter mile to the west, and then navigate the
second sharp five-lane turn to access the new border gates.
About 35,000 vehicles cross the border in each direction each day, and the wait to get into the U.S. can top four hours, backing up far into Tijuana's
overburdened streets and its small freeway.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon has made it a goal to widen the northbound waiting area by relocating the southbound port of entry about a quarter
mile to the west, next to the Tijuana River. But plans to build a new connection from interstates 5 and 805 to the new Mexican port of entry have not
been approved by the U.S. Congress.
The federal government of Mexico has invested $28 million in its new, state of the art Port of Entry, called "El Chaparral."
"Leaving the current port open is not an option," said Sean Carlos Cazares Ahearne, a Mexican Foreign Ministry official, in an interview with UT San
Diego. "We will begin operations as soon as the port is finished in October."
On the U.S. side, construction is well underway on a $583 million makeover of the northbound Port of Entry, which will effectively double the number
of northbound inspection gates, to 48.
Business owners north of the line fret that the eventual solution will be relocating the southbound freeway to directly connect Interstate 5 to El
Chaparral along what is now Virginia Avenue, a small street lined by the El Mejor Shopping Center and other businesses.
Plans to shift traffic via the Z-shaped detour are opposed by Baja California tourism and business leaders, who feel it is yet one more impediment to
the rebounding tourism to Tijuana and beaches to the south."Ken Cooke - 6-11-2012 at 10:37 AM
This is going to be interesting! I can't wait to see how this all plays out.woody with a view - 6-11-2012 at 10:53 AM
just avoid baja all together until they get all of this crap finished. or cross at midnight and fight your way thru the cartel to wherever it is you
need to be....55steve - 6-13-2012 at 10:20 AM
As you head north back to Ca, notice the gavanized rub rails (4" pipes that delineate the lanes) and rest assured that these were made by a Baja
Nomad.....meparanewbi - 6-13-2012 at 11:23 AM
Is there an arial photo with the new entry path highlighted or a conceptual map that someone might know of / post?paranewbi - 6-13-2012 at 11:26 AM
Mexico and the United States appear to be in a race to see who can erect their new respective border ports first. Both sides have been constructing at
a feverish pace.
#The U.S. border station at San Ysidro has been under construction for more than a year, complicated by the fact that the old station needed to remain
functioning while the new one was being built on the same site.
#Mexico is building their new border entry station at a new site, butted up against the levee of the Tijuana River and some distance (approximately a
quarter mile) west of the current site, which is adjacent to the U.S. border entry station and fed by traffic coming in from I-5.
#The U.S., having completed a new pedestrian bridge spanning I-5, has been working on a new secondary inspection facility, resembling an elongated
railroad barn, where vehicles are brought in for a thorough inspection. Construction has been ongoing for about eight months.
#Construction of Mexico’s facility (on a former storage lot for imported vehicles) started some 45 days ago and is going up rapidly alongside the
river. Steel support beams and concrete pillars are the most recent additions to the main building up against the eastern wall of the canal. Both
countries expect to finish their projects around the end of October.
#One fly remains in the ointment: how will Mexico-bound traffic be led from the U.S. into the new Mexican border crossing station? It appears that no
U.S. public monies have been made available for the construction of access roads leading from I-5 to the entrance of the new Mexican border station.
#An article in Tijuana’s daily Frontera offers speculation that private monies may be used for the construction of access roads on the U.S. side.
Reportedly, the controversy has become somewhat of a touchy diplomatic issue.
#Meanwhile, Mexican federal deputy Francisco Vega de La Madrid has assured Mexican nationals and tourists entering Mexico that the old border station
will continue functioning until the kerfuffle regarding access roads is resolved.
This is an important issue. Can't wait to see how it plays out. My friends that cross every day seem not to worry......BUT I'm worried...Ken Cooke - 6-17-2012 at 10:16 PM
My guess is that this formerly "busy" plaza will once again do regular business as the POE moves 1/4 mi. to the West.
Lots of new construction at the Car Import center in Tijuana. SFandH - 6-18-2012 at 06:56 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by ateo
This is an important issue. Can't wait to see how it plays out. My friends that cross every day seem not to worry......BUT I'm worried...
If the Mexicans stick to their guns, it looks like you'll be driving on surface streets in the vicinity of Plaza las Americas to get into Mexico. Two
freeways funneling into two south bound surface street lanes before hitting the border. Things will be upgefuchted.
They gotta get the American/Mexican building schedules in sync.Ateo - 6-18-2012 at 09:11 AM
Looks like I'll be doing 1am crossings or head to Otay or Tecate. I wish we could just fast forward to 2018.
