Tijuana

Otay Mesa East toll port of entry would collect 8 billion dollars that will be shared between the US and Mexico

SANDAG and CALTRANS are the institutions in charge of building this port of entry on the American side

By Sonia Zavala2024-06-29T22:39:00+00:00

Ports of entry are one of the factors that is most important in the Tijuana-San Diego border region, not only due to the tourism that they boost, but also due to the constant growth and economic exchange that occurs between both countries that import and export products between each other through them.

SANDAG will share toll revenue from the Otay II Port of Entry with Mexico

After the announcement of the construction of the "Otay Mesa East" port of entry, also known as "Otay II", a few years ago, the great benefits that this will bring to the border population in several areas stood out, among which was the economic benefit for both countries.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) estimated that in the next 40 years, around $8 billion dollars would be collected in revenue due to the toll at Otay II, which would be shared equally 50% for Mexico and 50% for the United States. However, CALTRANS was the one who told SANDAG that the money obtained on American road could not be shared with Mexico.

As such, SANDAG themselves decided to provide a solution by moving the booths. SANDAG’s senior legal counsel, Betsy Blake, said:

The primary toll readers, instead of being on State Route 11, we're moving them to the Mexican side of the border. The actual toll transaction, which is electronic, will be happening in SANDAG tolling center.

In addition, secondary toll readers will be installed on the American side of the border so that they are used in case the ones on the Mexican side fail.

The Otay Mesa II Port of Entry is estimated to be one of the fastest in the region, with an estimated waiting time of 20 minutes. The cost of this toll will range between $4 dollars to $30 dollars for vehicles, depending on the number of cars at any given time.

This information was shared last Friday, June 28, where SANDAG revealed that this port of entry, which would be the third vehicular one in the Tijuana-San Diego region, would delay its opening due to several issues.

In this announcement, they stated that the official opening of this port of entry will not happen, but that it is going to happen until 2028. It should be noted that this year, American authorities revealed that, contrary to what had been scheduled, it would be ready until 2026 due to delays, which means that it will be 2 years late.

SANDAG blames the delay on the negotiations carried out with Customs & Border Protection (CBP) and the General Services Administration which would be usually the federal agencies in charge of building a port of entry. However, in this case, SANDAG and the California Department of Transportation (CALTRANS) are the ones doing it, financed through the toll service that will be enabled in this area.

This toll port of entry will not only provide a breather for citizens, tourists, and people who cross daily but, thanks to the application of state-of-the-art technology, it will allow real time updates on waiting times miles before vehicles arrive. Lines will be "exchangeable" which means that, depending on crossing demand, booths could be used at a higher or lower number for particular and commercial vehicles.

Mario Orso, CEO of SANDAG, said:

We're building a 21st century border with a business model that doesn't exist anywhere.

The delays on the American side are the reason why this project is taking so long, generally speaking, as Mexican authorities claim that the construction on their side will finish in September of this year.

The Otay II Port of entry has been presented as one of the most modern ever that will overwhelmingly benefit mobility in Tijuana and the economy of both countries thanks to its lanes and smart crossings.

Among the benefits that this vehicular border crossing will provide to both sides of the border there are:

1. Reducing waiting times
2. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
3. Boosting economic growth
4. Improving regional mobility
5. Strengthening security and resilience of the borders
6. Boosting binational trade

From Tijuana, you will be able to access this port of entry from Blvd. Las Torres, while from San Diego, you will be able to access it through State Route 11. The port of entry will be located approximately 2 miles eastward from the Otay Mesa port of entry, which gets pretty crowded, especially for trucks that import and export products between both countries.