After a weekend closure, the border crossing from San Diego to Tijuana through the San Ysidro Port of Entry was partially reopened on Monday, Sept. 25.
All of the southbound lanes of Interstate 5 (I-5) and Interstate 805 (I-805) freeways were closed south of the State Route 905 (SR-905) from 3 a.m. on Sept. 23 to 12 a.m. on Sept. 25, to accommodate Phase 3 of the San Ysidro Port of Entry modernization and expansion project.
The closure was announced in July by the U.S. General Services Administration, which oversees the project.
It was one of the longest closures this port of entry has ever had, although it ended 12 hours ahead of schedule. The northbound vehicle lanes and the pedestrian border crossings at the San Ysidro Port of Entry were not impacted by the weekend closure.
Drivers going south during the weekend closure, had to use the Otay Port of Entry to get to Tijuana.
GSA authorities also informed on several occasions that after the closure, they were going to reopen only three of the five vehicle southbound lanes at the San Ysidro Port of Entry to facilitate the construction of the interim curve to El Chaparral and the additional Phase 3 permanent infrastructure. But on Monday, GSA reopened a total of four vehicle southbound lanes at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
“GSA is pleased to reopen the freeway ahead of schedule and with more available southbound lanes than originally projected,” said GSA Program Manager Anthony Kleppe. “This weekend’s closure was a critical part of the Phase 3 project to realign and expand the southbound I-5 corridor from five to 10 lanes. Construction was well planned and executed during the closure with close to 300 people working to complete the project.”
He thanked Caltrans, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, San Diego Police, and the California Highway Patrol for their support during the closure. And also thanked the public for their patience over the weekend as they completed the work on the roadway.
As GSA proceeds with its Phase 3 construction project, travelers are advised to continue monitoring posted signage and reduce speed through the construction zone. Signs will be posted to announce changes in traffic patterns within the construction area.
“We still have a significant amount of work to do in order to complete the realignment and expansion project by summer 2019,” Kleppe said. “But with the continued support from local stakeholders, our counterparts in Mexico, and travelers from the binational communities, GSA is confident we’ll deliver a world class, state-of-the-art facility for our federal agencies working here at the international border and for travelers crossing the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.”
