BajaNomad

New entrance to Sentri

bajachris - 4-13-2014 at 02:12 PM

There is a new entrance to Sentri at San Ysidro. Keep going straight when you get to the very last left (illegal) left turn at the stop sign with the shopping mall on the right. Go to the next stop sign and turn left. Go two blocks and the left is the new entrance. Of course you can't make that left turn, you have to make a right and a U-turn at the round about. Saturday night I think Sentri lane was as long as the regular boarder crossing.

Also there is construction on the main road throughout TJ and the road is torn up. Good luck. Maybe somebody has a photo map showing the new Sentri directions.

fandango - 4-13-2014 at 02:45 PM

Baja Chris:
What road is torn up? 2nd or the border fence road?

Ateo - 4-13-2014 at 02:48 PM

I think 2nd is tore up. Just take the fence road.

bajachris - 4-13-2014 at 02:50 PM

We stay straight through town after leaving toll road. That road is torn up. I
We did not drive the fence road, but a week earlier it was fine.

bajachris - 4-13-2014 at 02:56 PM

Some guy at the boarder told us he would show us the new route across Sentri. Showed us the way, then claimed he had to pay the cop at the old Sentri crossing $20. After 10 hours on the road I'd pay anything to move things along. Today I'm a little peeed off at the rip off.... I'm really sick of these moving roads. Wish I could find a good TJ map or App map for my phone.

Got great empty surf last week and warm weather, so I'm happy despite the road inconveniences.

Ateo - 4-13-2014 at 03:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajachris
Some guy at the boarder told us he would show us the new route across Sentri. Showed us the way, then claimed he had to pay the cop at the old Sentri crossing $20. After 10 hours on the road I'd pay anything to move things along. Today I'm a little peeed off at the rip off.... I'm really sick of these moving roads. Wish I could find a good TJ map or App map for my phone.

Got great empty surf last week and warm weather, so I'm happy despite the road inconveniences.


Chris,

I believe Bajaguy posted a photo of the new Sentri route. Try the "Search" function to find it. You get on Paseo de los Heroes, got to first monument, hang a left, then hang a left at next monument, I think. Clear as mud?

Jon

Ateo - 4-13-2014 at 03:11 PM

Try this:

http://www.bajaexplorers.com/index.php/guidebook/tijuana?id=...


From Mex Highway 1D, the toll/scenic road

Drive to Tijuana from Rosarito on the toll road. After the toll plaza at Playas de Tijuana, the toll road ends and the highway turns inland toward Tijuana
It is best to stay on this road. Do not take the exit marked "San Diego". (If you prefer to take this exit, skip to step #7)
At the Municipal Cemetery the road takes a slight left, stay on the main road.
Stay in the main lanes, the road, called "Benito Juarez" also called Second St., becomes one way through central Tijuana. Traffic generally moves well through here.
Continue on Second St.
Continue on Second Street and move into the right lanes, following the signs to Paseo de los Heroes.
Follow the signs to Paseo de los Heroes (This is where traffic that took the border road from Step #2, Via Internacional rejoins Second St.)
Continue on Paseo de los Heroes to the first traffic circle, with the "Scissors" sculpture (McDonalds is on the corner), and go 3/4 around the circle, the equivalent of making a left turn.
Continue over the bridge over the river. Stay in the main lanes.
You will come to another traffic circle with a statue of a man, Miguel Hidalgo known as the Father of Mexico. Go halfway across this circle as if you were continuing in a straight line.
This street will end at Padre Kino. Go toward the left and follow the signs to SENTRI.Text

[Edited on 4-13-2014 by Ateo]

bajaguy - 4-13-2014 at 03:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo

Chris,

I believe Bajaguy posted a photo of the new Sentri route. Try the "Search" function to find it. You get on Paseo de los Heroes, got to first monument, hang a left, then hang a left at next monument, I think. Clear as mud?

Jon





Nope, not me.......I don't use San Ysidro N/B

Ateo - 4-13-2014 at 03:44 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo

Chris,

I believe Bajaguy posted a photo of the new Sentri route. Try the "Search" function to find it. You get on Paseo de los Heroes, got to first monument, hang a left, then hang a left at next monument, I think. Clear as mud?

Jon





Nope, not me.......I don't use San Ysidro N/B




I stand corrected. I think I mixed you up with what bajadoc posted here (same amount of letters in your names - haha)


http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=72476#pid8886...

bajachris - 4-13-2014 at 03:49 PM

Thanks!

bajaguy - 4-13-2014 at 03:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo

I stand corrected. I think I mixed you up with what bajadoc posted here (same amount of letters in your names - haha)


http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=72476#pid8886...





No problem......I use the "secret" N/B crossing

Ateo - 4-13-2014 at 04:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo

I stand corrected. I think I mixed you up with what bajadoc posted here (same amount of letters in your names - haha)


http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=72476#pid8886...





No problem......I use the "secret" N/B crossing


A-ha! You're one of those tunnel guys!

JK

Yeah, I'm doing a study right now to see which way is better/quicker. From the Blvd 2000 turnoff off on the toll road to San Ysidro it took me 33 minutes to reach the Sentri lanes. Then about 8-10 minutes in line. I'm gonna time Blvd. 2000 turnoff to Otay next. Something tells me it's longer but who knows?? Just not having to deal with TJ is valuable though.

dasubergeek - 4-14-2014 at 10:47 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo
Yeah, I'm doing a study right now to see which way is better/quicker. From the Blvd 2000 turnoff off on the toll road to San Ysidro it took me 33 minutes to reach the Sentri lanes. Then about 8-10 minutes in line. I'm gonna time Blvd. 2000 turnoff to Otay next. Something tells me it's longer but who knows?? Just not having to deal with TJ is valuable though.


From the toll road Blvd. 2000 exit to Otay SENTRI takes 35 minutes unless there's unusually heavy traffic on Blvd. Industrial. From the toll road at Blvd. 2000 to SY SENTRI takes about the same amount of time given the new bass-ackwards route past Padre Kino.

Ateo - 4-14-2014 at 11:00 AM

Thanks for your data dasubergeek! Yeah, my 33 minutes was the new Padre Kino route, although I went one traffic circle too far and probably added about 3 extra minutes to my above time.

dasubergeek - 4-14-2014 at 04:02 PM

With Otay it just depends how much truck traffic is on Blvd. Industrial / Mex-2 once you get off the Blvd. 2000 bypass. It's never been less than 30 for me, though, because once you get up into the Casas Geo development and the giant new shopping mall, there's a little traffic and lots and lots of stupid people darting across the freeway.

BajaGeoff - 4-15-2014 at 12:30 PM

Here are our updated photo and video directions that show two options to get to SENTRI via Padre Kino starting from Calle Segunda:

Photo directions: http://www.bajabound.com/before/driving/directions/san_ysidr...

Video directions:



[Edited on 4-15-2014 by BajaGeoff]

Ateo - 4-15-2014 at 01:03 PM

Geoff, Thanks for those new directions. I'll be down this weekend and try these out.

dasubergeek - 4-15-2014 at 01:36 PM

Those seem awfully complisticatered—U-turns in Colonia Federal?? Go down Melchor Ocampo to 10th, turn left, and then left at the third glorieta. Easy. Specific instructions:

Bear right on Melchor Ocampo (the Pemex step in those pictures).

Left on 10th (church on the right, Tijuana J.R. taqueria on the left).

Go past Mercado Hidalgo (that's Blvd. Sánchez Taboada).

Go through the glorieta at Paseo de los Héroes (scissors).

Go over the river (name changes from Décima to Independencia).

Go through the glorieta at Paseo Centenario Tijuana (man holding feather quill).

Left at the next glorieta (Padre Kino himself) onto Padre Kino. Keep left of the divider and follow the blue sign.

BajaGeoff - 4-15-2014 at 01:58 PM

The idea is to orient people with the route typically traveled by tourists prior to having SENTRI, which is approaching the border from the International Road and onto Calle Segunda. There are obviously numerous ways to approach the border and this is just one option. I have been using the Colonia Federal route for the last eight years and it has served me well...

lizard lips - 4-15-2014 at 02:12 PM

I like the music Geoff! Its a Mexican elevator tune for sure….

fandango - 4-15-2014 at 03:33 PM

Sentri wait time today, Tuesday, at 10:15am was 42 minutes. Yikes!!!!!!

dasubergeek - 4-15-2014 at 04:34 PM

So what's the story? Are they inspecting more carefully, or was the old SENTRI entrance so hard to find that people gave up and used the Ready Lanes instead??

willardguy - 4-15-2014 at 04:42 PM

must be a construction deal? 2 readylane crossings 2 weeks ago, same time, one a tad under 20 and the other a tad under 30!

fandango - 4-15-2014 at 05:07 PM

The line for sentri was WAY before the padre kino traffic circle. We were happy to see cops at the last intersection. They were keeping it closed with caution tape until traffic moved up the ramp to make room for another group of cars to cross, and keeping cars from turning into sentri from the cross street.
Traffic moved well once we were near the pedestrian lines because the 2 lanes opened up to at least 5 lanes.
No traffic jammed at the speed bumps after the agent booth.

bajachris - 4-15-2014 at 10:06 PM

I think everyone has Sentri and it's getting more crowded. When we crossed Saturday at 5 pm, I think the main crossing was maybe 10 minutes longer than Sentri which was 35 minutes. Love the elevator music. Thanks all!