SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Federal officials on Wednesday morning gave Border Report a tour of the newly remodeled Otay Mesa Port of Entry, one of two major ports of entry located between San Diego and Tijuana.
The U.S. General Services Administration announced last week it had completed a $134 million modernization and expansion project at the border crossing.
“This is a facility that has been waiting a long time for a facelift,” said Ramon Riesgo, GSA engineer and project manager.
The Otay Mesa Port of Entry was originally built 40 years ago.
Remodeling the commercial side, where trucks enter the U.S., was the first part of the project. That phase was completed last year.
Otay Mesa’s Port of Entry administration building, inside pedestrian crossing and truck crossing facility. (Salvador Rivera/Border Report)
“We were able to add five acres to the compound; it gave us an opportunity to not only expand the number of booths entering the compound, but we were also able to add better traffic circulation to that part of the port,” Riesg said. “We also built employee parking that was highly necessary.”
An administration building was also constructed as part of the project.
“It houses the federal enforcement agencies operating here, it also delivers other services to the public making it easier to conduct operations,” Riesgo said.
The last area to be completed is the pedestrian side of the port of entry.
“We went from six booths that we had before — for the last 40 years — to the 12 booths that we have today with all the technology necessary for CBP to be able to expedite their operations.”
Riesgo said there are still a few things that need to get done, including the replacement of all northbound lanes with state-of-the-art concrete that emits less heat and emissions.
The floor, where people walk out of the pedestrian processing area, will also be replaced in the coming month, he said.
Otay Mesa processes over $13.5 billion in exports and $37.4 billion in imports every year while inspecting nearly 1 million commercial trucks.
According to GSA, the Otay Mesa Port of Entry also processes 2.1 million pedestrians, and 5 million privately owned vehicles annually.
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