Otay Mesa East Land Port of Entry

Southern California’s tolled Otay Mesa East Port of Entry will accommodate a growing population and boost economic expansion by creating a fast, predictable and innovative border crossing.

Location

San Diego, California, USA

Client

San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG); California Department of Transportation (Caltrans)

Architect

TKS Architects

Passing through security at the oft-congested U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego, California can take hours, but a solution currently under construction will soon provide road users with an option that could significantly reduce wait times and frustration.

Vehicles crossing the border between Tijuana on the Mexico side and San Diego on the U.S. side, pass through one of two ports of entry at San Ysidro or Otay Mesa. Currently, while light cargo and passenger vehicles use San Ysidro, large commercial vehicles bringing goods into the U.S. can only use Otay Mesa and rely heavily on this crossing, making it one of the busiest and most important international land crossings in the world for cargo traffic.

The new State Route 11/Otay Mesa East Port of Entry (POE), located 2.5 miles east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry, will place a third crossing within a 15-mile stretch between the two nations. It will also be the first southern border crossing to charge a toll.

Cargo trucks, some that cross the border 2-3 times every day to bring goods from Mexico to U.S. shipping centers, cause much of the commercial congestion. This new port will alleviate that problem.

Breaking the Bottleneck

Before work on the new land POE began, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) constructed State Route 11, a new 1.7-mile highway extension of State Route 905 that extends east to the Otay Mesa East POE. This highway includes a new four-lane toll road connecting to the new POE and a diverging diamond intersection designed to cater to freight traffic.

The POE project, which began construction on the U.S. side in August 2022, is a joint partnership between the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and Caltrans. We are leading project design on behalf of SANDAG and Caltrans, responsible for planning, design, specifications and estimation, which will shape infrastructure that will redefine border efficiency.

The new crossing initially adds seven northbound passenger lanes and five northbound commercial/cargo lanes for vehicles entering the U.S., with an expansion potential up to 25 PV and 20 CV in the northbound direction. The POE inspection lanes are designed to be flexible to adapt to real-time traffic conditions at the border, responding to demand.

Planning and construction for the new POE includes Non-Intrusive Inspection (NII) equipment; booths for customs and border protection officers; inspection docks; a main building head house; and other buildings for power, communication and inspection services.

Making your way through customs and security at the Mexico-U.S. border can eat up several hours in either direction.

What SANDAG and Caltrans are doing is transformative. Dynamic pricing ensures a steady flow of traffic, allowing cargo and passenger vehicles to bypass hours-long delays and reach the border efficiently.

Karen Kosup, PE, PMP Senior vice president at WSP in the U.S. and project manager for Otay Mesa East

Karen Kosup, PE, PMP Senior vice president at WSP in the U.S. and project manager for Otay Mesa East

Dynamic Tolling

Otay Mesa East will introduce variable toll pricing at the border, which will help it deliver the promise of shorter wait times.

Dynamic pricing adjusts toll rates based on congestion levels at nearby crossings, allowing motorists and cargo carriers to make informed decisions about the option that best suits their situation.

While this change will not shorten the 15-30 minutes on average that is required to pass through customs inspections at the border, shortening the wait time to reach customs will result in significant time savings. The goal is to significantly shorten the wait time from the end of the queue to the port’s processing facility, which can often take a couple of hours. For commercial drivers especially, that time savings will help offset the toll charge.

In addition, the introduction of a third POE will have a residual impact on the other two border crossings. While waiting times may be longer at those ports compared to Otay Mesa East, spreading the burden among three entries may ultimately result in shorter wait times than currently experienced at those crossings.

Upon completion of the project, its management on the U.S. side will be turned over to the federal General Services Administration to own and operate. Tolls will be divided binationally and used to maintain operational expenses at the border.

State Route 11 is a new extension of State Route 905 extending east to the Otay Mesa East POE and includes a four-lane toll road.

©SAN DIEGO ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS

Estimated wait-time reduction

50%

Annual vehicle border crossings

42M

New Technology

Otay Mesa East POE will introduce state-of-the-art technologies, including intelligent transportation systems (ITS), which will further expedite border crossings in a secure, efficient manner.
Data collection through the ITS system will enable motorists to access real-time information in order to make informed decisions about the most suitable option for their situation miles before their vehicle reaches the border.

Some key ITS features at the new POE will include:

Wait-time data collection: Vehicles approaching the port will be monitored using advanced technologies, allowing real-time adjustments to toll rates and lane conditions.
Binational lane management: Overhead signage on both sides of the border will guide vehicles into the correct lanes for inspection and clearance.
Electronic toll collection: A single toll collection point on the U.S. side will process payments using transponder services like FasTrak, though other payment options will be available.
Traveler information: Border crossers will receive live updates on toll rates, waiting times and special lane conditions, helping them plan their trips effectively.

These innovations aim to reduce congestion, improve trade efficiency and create a more predictable border crossing experience. Shorter waiting times will also reduce idling times and improve air quality in the border region.

While the time to pass through customs will not change at the new facility, the time it takes to reach the facility will be shortened.

A Clean Slate

Located in one of the last undeveloped border locations before reaching the Otay mountains to the east, Otay Mesa East stands to serve as a model for enhanced regional cross-border flow management, incorporating modern technology for security and processing that would not be possible at many legacy border facilities. It is currently scheduled to open in late 2027.

There are very few brand-new ports of entry being built, so it is a rare opportunity for our team to watch this facility emerge from the ground up, not just as a redesign of an existing port. From a design engineering perspective, it provides a clean slate to create a design that provides an optimum fit for everyone who will rely on this crossing to perform as promised.

Otay Mesa East POE technologies are aimed at reducing congestion, improving trade efficiency and creating a predictable border crossing experience.

This is just straight cool. It’s exciting because it’s local to us and a landmark project. To have a hand in designing something that will be around for years to come and make a huge impact on commerce in the U.S. is an amazing opportunity.

Lisa Woodward Vice president of toll facility operations at WSP in the U.S.

Lisa Woodward Vice president of toll facility operations at WSP in the U.S.