An improved pedestrian facility in San Ysidro will open its doors in July, as part of the expansion and reconfiguration project of the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

The improved facilities will include 22 new northbound pedestrian lanes. This means, northbound pedestrian lanes will be almost triple of what they were prior to the expansion project by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).

Currently, pedestrian traffic going north in San Ysidro can use the Ped West facility located on the West side of the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry, which operates 12 northbound and two reversible pedestrian lanes, and also a temporary pedestrian crossing on the East side (near the location of the improved pedestrian facility to open in July known as Ped East).

The San Ysidro Land Port of Entry is the busiest land border crossing in the Western Hemisphere, currently processing an average of 70,000 northbound vehicle passengers and 20,000 northbound pedestrians per day. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) projects an 87 percent increase in vehicle traffic in San Ysidro by the year 2030.

To accommodate that growth and to better meet the changing needs of the tenant agencies and the traveling public, GSA is conducting a complete reconfiguration and expansion of the port. The scope includes the demolition and construction of the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry, including primary and secondary inspection areas, administration and pedestrian buildings, and all other support structures.

Once all three phases are complete, the new port will boast 62 northbound vehicle primary inspection booths, one dedicated bus lane and inspection booth spread over 34 lanes, as well as improved processing facilities for bus and Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) travelers.

The San Ysidro Land Port of Entry will have over 110,000 square feet of new primary and secondary vehicle inspection canopy utilizing state-of-the-art materials that will both conserve and produce energy. In addition, a portion of the Interstate 5 South freeway will be realigned and expanded from the current five lanes to ten lanes that will connect to Mexico’s new El Chaparral facility. A corresponding southbound inspection canopy will be constructed to support the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) southbound vehicle inspection efforts.

The San Ysidro Land Port of Entry is designed to be the port of the future, not only operationally, but also in terms of high-performance buildings. Designed by the award-winning architectural firm, The Miller Hull Partnership, all three phases of the project are targeted to achieve LEED® Gold certification due to energy efficiency, water conservation strategies, and an integrated design process.

Most notably is the potential of achieving net zero energy in all the occupied spaces (the buildings, on a net annualized basis, will provide as much power as they consume), the first facility open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, to achieve this in the United States.