Cross-border airport bridge opens next month

Ticketed airline passengers crossing between San Diego and Tijuana will soon have a new option. A 390-foot pedestrian bridge linking Tijuana’s A.L. Rodríguez International Airport directly to Otay Mesa is set to launch operations on Dec. 9.

Users of the privately operated port of entry, called the Cross Border Xpress, will be charged for each crossing. Enrique Valle, chief executive officer of Otay Tijuana Ventures, builder and operator of $120 million facility, said Friday that the toll will be $15 for those who purchase tickets ahead of time on the facility’s website — and $18 for those who pay on location.

The only port of entry on the U.S. border that connects directly to an airport in Mexico, the Cross Border Xpress also will be the first on the California border where users will be charged a toll. Only ticketed airline passengers will be able to use the facility.

The bridge will offer these travelers a faster way to cross the border, avoiding long lines at the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry. It connects the Tijuana airport with a facility on the U.S. side that includes an area for U.S. customs and immigration processing, but also airline ticket counters, currency exchange facilities, a duty-free area, and a restaurant.

Speaking Friday to members of the Smart Border Coalition, a group that lobbies for more efficient border crossings, Valle confirmed the projected opening date of Dec. 9. He also announced the toll prices, and gave a glimpse of what travelers can expect once the facility opens.

During the first six weeks of operation, users are being offered a 20 percent discount, he said. Passengers from ages 2 to 12 and senior citizens older than 65 will receive permanent 20 percent discounts, while those under age 2 will be able to use the bridge for free, Valle said. Tickets will be available starting Dec. 1 on the company’s website, crossborderxpress.com.

Passengers will be required to carry their luggage across the bridge, a five-minute walk, he said. Motorized carts will assist those who are disabled and unable to walk.

“We are not an airport port of entry, we are not a land port of entry,” Valle told coalition members. “It is a hybrid facility.”

The operators are counting on drawing a large number of the Tijuana airport’s 4.5 million yearly passengers, 60 percent of whom cross the border.

Located 22 miles from downtown San Diego, the Tijuana airport is the second best connected airport in Mexico, with flights to more than 30 Mexican destinations. For passengers, “the main benefits are more destinations, direct destinations and lower prices,” Valle said.

The new Otay Mesa facility will include both long-term and short-term parking areas. A range of ground transportation options will be available as well, including shuttle services to transport passengers to and from the San Diego airport and downtown, Valle said. Taxi and Uber service will also be offered.

The facility has been years in the planning and required reviews from numerous agencies in the United States and Mexico, including presidential permits in both countries to establish a new border crossing.

sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com ▪ (619) 293-1716