SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The Mexican side of the new Otay Mesa II Port of Entry, currently under construction, will be ready in five weeks, according to officials south of the border.
Meantime, construction on the U.S. side of the border has yet to begin and is said to be at least two years behind schedule. (It was supposed to be done by next month.)
“The way they are going, they are having a tough time justifying the money, hopefully by the end of the year they’ll have a contract to begin the project,” said Arturo Espinoza Jaramillo, Secretary of Baja California’s Urban and Infrastructure Development..
He added that the state of Baja California is pushing for the U.S. side to be complete no later than 2027.
He also said they continue to promote the idea of allowing only southbound truck crossings until the entire facility is done.
When finished, the new port of entry will charge a toll in both directions.
Baja officials are trying to recover some of the $210 million the Mexican government has invested in the new border crossing.
“These can be empty trucks that are looking for a fast way to get back,” Espinoza Jaramillo said. “This will also reduce a lot of truck traffic near the current Otay Mesa truck crossing, this is going to be the most modern port of entry in the world, it will double our region’s capacity to process trucks.”
On the U.S. side, Otay Mesa II is a joint venture between the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG).
SANDAG recently said the delays were due to the federal government’s failure to reach agreements on operation and maintenance roles and responsibilities.
“The State of California, Caltrans, and SANDAG continue to negotiate with the federal government to solidify the final details of the port of entry itself,” SANDAG officials said in a statement. “But progress continues.”
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