OTAY MESA, Calif. — U.S. and Mexican authorities shared their respective progress toward completing construction of a new Otay Mesa border crossing by 2024, or even ahead of time if possible.
Leaders from both sides of the border, including U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar, as well as California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila, participated last week in a binational summit in which they pledged to do their part to deliver the project.
“Even though the completion date for the crossing is 2024 right now, we are all redoubling our efforts and our commitment to move that day to 2023,” Kounalakis said, following the Feb. 14 meeting held near the construction site in Otay Mesa.
The Otay Mesa East project, also known as Otay II, will help reduce wait times at other border crossings, thereby boosting economic development in the border region, officials agree.
“It is also a model to emulate as our countries become more and more economically integrated,” Salazar said. “Today more than ever, Mexico is our most important partner.”
On the U.S. side, construction of the $1 billion dollar project is under way. In December, authorities opened new freeway connectors as part of the project. Construction is also near completion on state Route 11, the main road to the new port of entry.
Meanwhile, Mexico has secured 90% of the rights-of-way to start construction on its end of the project. Given the progress, Mexican authorities believe it is feasible to finish ahead of time.
“We have the financing. It’s a matter of doubling the work hours,” said Rogelio Rivero, road development director of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation in Mexico. “With an executive project, resources and the will, projects can be done sooner.”
On the Mexican side, an investment of more than $180 million is contemplated in the first phase, according to Mexican authorities.
“We have 17 infrastructure projects along the border, and this is the top priority for the Mexican government,” said Pablo Gálvez, director of Border Affairs with the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During his visit to Tijuana last Thursday, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador oversaw infrastructure projects, including the Mexican side of the new Otay border crossing. He announced that the Ministry of National Defense would be in charge of the construction.
The new border crossing will have five vehicle lanes and five more for commercial trucks, with the option for these to be interchangeable depending on demand, said Mario Orso, project director with the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans.
Initially, a "medium-size" border crossing is planned, but with the possibility of expanding if needed in the future, Orso added.
Unlike other ports of entry, such as San Ysidro, this new border crossing will require a toll fee to be collected once exiting the inspection point on the U.S. side. Revenue will be divided between the U.S. and Mexico.
Although there is no official cost yet, it has been contemplated that the toll will be from $5 to $25 for vehicles such as cars, pickups and vans, and from $20 to $50 for commercial trucks. The price would depend on demand.
U.S. Rep. Juan Vargas, D-Calif., said there’s still work to be done to make sure this new port of entry will have the proper staffing.
“We don’t want personnel brought in from other border crossings like San Ysidro or Otay Mesa. What we want is more personnel, because if not, then we are going to have the same problem,” Vargas said.
Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce Director Alejandra Mier y Terán said that she remains confident that this project will attract more investment for the border region, at a time when companies, such as Amazon, have settled in.
“This border crossing is going to increase interest in our community,” she said.
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