DavidE - 9-22-2012 at 10:49 AM
SAN YSIDRO — A major rerouting of all southbound traffic into Mexico at the San Ysidro border crossing — an average of 35,000 vehicles a day — is set
to launch on Nov. 1 with the opening of Mexico’s state-of-the art El Chaparral Portal
With the switch just slightly more than a month away, doubts have persisted about exactly how long it will take motorists to enter Mexico through the
revised configuration. Congress has not approved the funding to build a permanent link from southbound Interstate 5 to El Chaparral. The Mexican
government has gone ahead and built a temporary connector, a road that tapers from six lanes on the I-5 to five as it curves sharply toward El
Chaparral.
On Friday, a U.S. official said a traffic study has shown that delays will be minimal, with a peak wait time of less than a minute for vehicles
entering Mexico through the new facility.
“You’re almost not stopping,” said Anthony Kleppe, senior asset manager with the U.S. General Services Administration the agency overseeing
reconstruction of the San Ysidro port. “It’s a couple of cars queueing. Processing time is about 14 seconds.”
Kleppe said such a scenario is contingent on Mexico keeping 21 inspection lanes staffed at El Chapparal during peak crossing periods. He also said the
study did not take into account congestion that can occur periodically when U.S. law enforcement agencies inspect southbound vehicles.
Tijuana’s business leaders said Mexican authorities have given them different information, citing a study earlier this year that shows peak Friday
wait times — usually the longest of the week — lasting up to 29 minutes once El Chaparral is opened.
“We’re concerned that U.S. and Mexican officials don’t have the same information,” said Mario Escobedo, head of the Business Coordinating Council, an
influential umbrella group. “We all want a rapid crossing, but I think we are lacking coordination.”
Efficient crossings at the San Ysidro port are crucial to the economies of San Diego County and Baja California. A 2005 study by the San Diego
Association of Governments estimated that delays in commercial and passenger crossings cost the binational region $6 billion and 51,000 jobs annually.
Escobedo was among Mexican business leaders who met with Kleppe on Friday at the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana. Along with issues concerning the launch of
El Chaparral, they heard about the General Services Administration’s plans to open its new southbound pedestrian crossing on Monday at San Ysidro — on
the eastern edge of the port of entry. The crossing is expected to serve roughly 25,000 people each day.
U.S. officials plan to shut down the existing southbound pedestrian crossing, which is located on the western side of the port, on Thursday.
In a news conference Friday afternoon, Kleppe said U.S. and Mexican studies have come up with the same bottom line: “Both countries expect reduced
wait times during peak travel hours. The newly constructed Mexican inspection facilities at El Chaparral will improve the overall capacity over the
existing conditions.”
Despite the assurances, Jason Wells, executive director of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce and coordinator of the San Ysidro Smart Border
Coalition, still had some reservations. “We understand that their study tells them that it’s going to be better tomorrow than it is today,” he said.
“We demand that both governments do what is necessary to ensure that it’s so.”
Mexican government officials could not be reached for comment Friday.
The opening of El Chaparral is part of a massive reconstruction of the world’s busiest land port of entry. On the Mexican side, the building of El
Chaparral and associated projects has a price tag of about $67 million.
The U.S. reconstruction involves a $583 million project being carried out in three phases. But with only the first phase funded, officials have
grappled with a timing problem — how to connect southbound traffic to El Chaparral until money is appropriated to reroute Interstate 5.
Fiscal year 2014 is the earliest time such funding could arrive. That means the earliest completion date for the permanent rerouting would be in 2016
or 2017.
The five-lane, temporary Mexican connection has raised concerns that the sharp curve will contribute to lengthy crossings at peak times. Baja
California’s business and political leaders have pushed Mexico’s federal government to keep open the existing southbound processing lanes even after
El Chaparral begins operations.
Escobedo of the business council said he has been told that two or three lanes will be kept open initially, until the fluidity of the new crossing can
be assured.
“They seem to have done their traffic studies pretty well; that sharp turn is going to work,” said José Larroque, co-chairman of the Smart Border
Coalition, a binational group that advocates for more efficient border crossings. The critical issue, he said, “really more than the curve itself is
whether Mexico opens up sufficient gates.”
Link To UT Article With Diagram
Jack Swords - 9-22-2012 at 10:59 AM
Thanks David, hopefully we can have some real world information from Nomads before we head down the 27th of November.
mtgoat666 - 9-22-2012 at 01:04 PM
the S curves >90% are GUARENTEED to cause congestion on their own, never mind the inspection wait! looky here:
and the million dollar question, where does one get a mex visa when crossing by car???????
[Edited on 9-22-2012 by mtgoat666]
bryanmckenzie - 9-24-2012 at 06:12 PM
Here's an aerial Google Earth animation of what the ultimate configurations is supposed to be (looking northbound) ... http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=53705#pid6324...
coconaco - 9-25-2012 at 10:55 AM
The pedestrian crossing by the trolley will be nice.
It will still a long walk.
Its even better if the western entrance handled the returning felons from that Border Patrol building.
On a few occasions I felt like I was being released from jail too. Any one else have to cross the line from the repatriation gate to get to the
immigration office immediately next turnstile?
This should be much more user friendly.