POE work ramps up in Mexicali
BY EDWIN DELGADO Staff Writer
As the work for phase I of the new Calexico West Land Port of Entry is nearing completion, construction has sped up and is expected to catch up later this year.
On Monday, County Supervisors John Renison and Luis Plancarte met with Jaime Nova, administrator of the Customs Office in Mexicali, to get an update on the latest activity surrounding the first phase of construction on the Mexicali side of the border. Both supervisors visited the construction site and also held a meeting in which they were given a presentation regarding the project.
Renison said Mexican officials said they expect to complete construction on the Mexicali side by July. Although he was a bit skeptical of that goal, he feels confident the project will be completed by the end of the year.
“It looks like things are accelerating,” Renison said. “It’s very important for Mexico to recognize how important it is to finally catch up.”
As for the construction taking place in the U.S., the project was initially expected to be completed by this spring, but due to delays in Mexico and the uncertainty of the funding for the second phase, construction in Calexico slowed down but is also expected to be completed sometime this year.
The initial stage of the project will add 10 new northbound inspection lanes and five new southbound inspection lanes, as well as a command center for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, which leases the property from the General Services Administration. By moving the port of entry to Cesar Chavez Boulevard, officials hope traffic congestion will be relieved as traffic can go in three different directions rather than only through Imperial Avenue.
In addition to the update from Monday’s meeting, Renison had met Mexican customs officials last week to discuss possible remediation measures to take in order to reduce the long backup that the city of Calexico experiences at peak hours when southbound traffic splits the city from the port of entry all the way to Cole Boulevard.
In the interim, Mexican officials have said they could open as many as six lanes during peak hours to facilitate the traffic flow. Renison said currently only three or four lanes are typically open for southbound traffic.
Although a second phase of the construction will still be needed, Renison is hopeful that by the end of the year, the new port of entry access can alleviate the congestion issues on both sides of the border.
“We hope it does bring relief. The intent is that by adding more lanes and bringing additional technology and efficiency, it will help to speed things up,” Renison said.
The positive news adds onto last week’s announcement of the White House budget proposal for the fiscal year 2019, which includes $276 million for the second phase of the Land Port of Entry expansion project in Calexico.
The second phase of the project would include a new pedestrian processing facility, administrative offices and six additional northbound commuter inspection lanes, according to the GSA.
The final phase of the project will also include the addition of five southbound commuter inspection lanes with canopies and booths, a parking structure and the demolition of the existing main building.
Though the funding is proposed under the new budget, the funds have to be appropriated by Congress by the fall. If the funds are indeed allocated then, it would allow the contractor to remain in place and avoid a redeployment that could drive up the cost of the project.