SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – Dignitaries from California and Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding Monday to open a new port of entry at the U.S-Mexico border in Otay Mesa by late 2024.
Officials say the State Route 11/Otay Mesa East Port of Entry Project will help facilitate and bolster trade between the two countries by adding a third port of entry in the San Diego region, as well as cut down on motorist wait times at the border, thus improving air quality by reducing emissions from vehicles that are often idling bumper-to-bumper at border crossings.
Described as a “21st Century border crossing,” the project is slated to feature a number of technological systems to monitor wait times and reduce traffic congestion, including electronically collected tolls, a traveler information system that will inform drivers on toll rates and wait times, and interchangeable primary inspection lanes that differ between peak passenger and commercial vehicle travel times.