Shorter waits at San Ysidro port of entry?

Shorter waits at the San Ysidro Port of Entry are expected starting Wednesday with the re-opening of seven northbound vehicle inspection lanes.

Up to eight lanes at a time have been closed over the past two years as workers have been rebuilding the primary inspection area of the port. With the project now complete, 25 northbound lanes and 46 inspection booths will be available starting at 8 a.m., according to the U.S. General Services Administration.

GSA, which is overseeing the reconstruction of the port, said in a statement that one to three lanes may briefly be closed to complete final lane work.

The lanes are being turned over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is in charge of staffing.

“We will staff appropriately to ensure the seamless flow of traffic into the United States,” said Sidney Aki, the port director at San Ysidro. Maximum staffing will be assigned during the weekday morning and Sunday afternoon peak travel periods, he said.

The San Ysidro port of entry is considered the busiest in the Western Hemisphere, with an average of 50,000 northbound vehicles and 25,000 northbound pedestrian crossings daily. The port is in the midst of a $741 million reconstruction, which includes expanding the capacity of the northbound vehicle inspection area through the construction of double-stacked booths. An additional expansion phase will add nine more lanes and 17 booths by Jan. 2018, according to GSA.

Wednesday’s re-opening of the lanes comes weeks before the scheduled Oct. 17 date.

Authorities have reason to be hopeful that they will be able significantly reduce the vehicle wait times at San Ysidro. Informal tests during breaks in the rebuilding of the primary inspection area showed that adding lanes and inspectors can significantly reduce cross-border waits.

sandra.dibble@utsandiego.com

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