On Monday, September 12, construction of the expansion and modernization of the Otay Mesa pedestrian border crossing project began. It should be noted that this port of entry will continue operating as it regularly does.

This was revealed in a statement on the official U.S. Customs and Border Protection website where they also claimed that some access gates in the building will temporarily close in order to make room for new inspection booths that will be placed permanently inside the building.

It is expected that this new space configuration of the port of entry remains until 2023. In fact, once the first six pedestrian booths are completed, the construction will continue to progress until it replaces all old booths.

The goal of this modernization and expansion project is to decrease waiting times and streamline the border crossing process.

“This modernization and expansion project is an effort to alleviate wait times and provide a more seamless travel process. The pedestrian portion of the project is set to double pedestrian processing facilities from 6 to 12 lanes. The anticipated completion date for the overall project is Spring of 2023,” they stated.

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