Officials took a significant step Friday toward making the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry project a reality, with more construction set to begin this month.
The San Diego Association of Governments‘ board approved agreements between state and federal agencies for the new border crossing, concluding two years of negotiations led by SANDAG and the state Department of Transportation.
The Federal Project Agreement and future Donation Acceptance Agreements include SANDAG, Caltrans, the U.S. General Services Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to a joint news release by the regional and state agencies.
The agreement outlines the roles of the parties involved in the long-planned port of entry’s design, construction, commissioning, operation, ownership, management and toll revenue sharing.
Once all parties have signed the pact, SANDAG will be able to award the project’s pre-construction contract.
In a related decision, $3.5 million was authorized to pay the contractors, Atkinson/Clark Joint Venture, engaged for early site preparation.
More work near the planned port of entry is expected to begin before the end of the month. The phase includes opening local road connections around state Route 11. When that project is complete, SANDAG can begin construction of buildings and related facilities.
SANDAG and Caltrans broke ground on the project in the summer of 2022. Construction has been underway to ready the site for utility equipment.
The total cost for the U.S.-side facilities is estimated at $1.3 billion. Once construction is underway, a phased approach will be considered with a goal of opening in late 2027.
In December, Gov. Gavin Newsom argued that the new port of entry would prove “that we can build strong international partnerships with Mexico – our top trading partner – to grow our economy and create jobs while prioritizing the safety and well-being of our communities.”
He also said he expected the new port-of-entry to speed up a lengthy crossing process, perhaps cutting wait times in half at the region’s other crossings.
Trade between California and Mexico through land ports of entry was valued at more than $88 billion last year, according to a statement from Newsom’s office.
However, the impact of delays at the existing overburdened crossings was also significant, costing the economy $3.4 billion.
City News Service contributed to this report.
