The new El Chaparral border crossing

By Adina Moloman

Source: UT San Diego, El Mexicano

This Sunday, October 14, Mexico closed the current Puerta México entry into Mexico from Interstate 5 in order to replace it with the El Chaparral port of entry located several hundred yards to the west.

The construction activities at the Chaparral, port of entry have concluded. This new port of entry is considered state of the art; part of a massive border reconstruction plan capable of implementing future technological expectations while serving one of the busiest border in the world.

The new entry into Mexico has its access point through a temporary five-lane connector along the border fence. This is a temporary access; the permanent access, with a more direct connection, is estimated that it will be completed by the year 2017 according to U.S. authorities.

On the Mexico side 22 gates will be opened, leaving open the possibility that some traffic might go through the old port of entry in case of traffic difficulties.

Activist groups from Mexico are worried because delays would be longer than usual due to the temporary connector, the road that tapers from six lanes on the I-5 to five, and then curves sharply west towards El Chaparral; additionally the situations worsens when U.S. law enforcement agencies inspect southbound vehicles.

Mexican officials assures that there might be maximum waits of 29 minutes to get into Tijuana, which is half the time southbound travelers sometimes have to wait.

A efficient crossings at the San Ysidro port of entry is crucial to the economies of both countries as well for the Maquiladora Industry.