Southbound port of entry lane to be added
CALEXICO — Construction is expected to soon get underway to convert a northbound lane at the Calexico downtown port of entry into a southbound vehicle inspection lane to help ease southbound Imperial Avenue traffic congestion.
The pending construction comes in response to the extensive southbound Imperial Avenue traffic congestion that had resulted from the port expansion project’s Jan. 9 closure of two of the three southbound vehicle inspection lanes south of Second Street.
The pending lane conversion will require the removal of some existing curbs, gutters and the installation of additional traffic barriers, but is expected to be completed by April 3, federal officials told the City Council at its March 15 regular meeting.
“It will be completed prior to Easter Week,” said Anthony Kleppe, U.S. General Services Administration Portfolio Management Division senior asset manager.
The conversion of the northbound lane into a southbound vehicle inspection lane was prompted by discussions among local, state and federal stakeholders, which itself resulted from communitywide concerns that the traffic congestion was negatively impacting residents’ quality of life.
“Once we realized we had those issues, I think we took the appropriate steps to address it,” Kleppe told council members.
Yet, in Councilman Jesus Eduardo Escobar’s estimation, the five weeks that it took stakeholders to collectively address the problem was five weeks too late.
“Why was this allowed to happen,” Escobar asked. “In Calexico, everything seems to happen after the fact.”
Aside from the ongoing issues with Imperial Avenue traffic congestion, the $98 million phase 1 Calexico West Land Port of Entry expansion project appears to be running smoothly, and is about 45 percent complete, said Scott Shin, GSA Design and Construction Division project manager.
Ongoing work consists of grading, excavating and the building of the “headhouse,” a two-story structure that will house U.S. Customs and Border Protection administrators.
A concrete bridge has already been built across the New River at the point where it enters the United States from Mexico.
“GSA is kind of crushing it at the site right now,” Kleppe said.
When completed in March 2018, phase 1 construction will have created 10 northbound inspection lanes with primary and secondary canopies for shade, five new southbound inspection lanes and the administrative building.
The installation of a sewer line is expected to keep workers busy from this month to next, while Second Street sidewalk and utility improvements are to take place from June to August.
The city is also expected to begin construction on its Chavez Boulevard and Second Street project in June, which will require some “dancing” to ensure the city’s and the GSA’s construction schedules align, GSA officials said.
During the council’s March 15 regular meeting, Councilman Bill Hodge had asked for further details regarding the city’s construction schedule for the Chavez Boulevard and Second Street intersection, where northbound port traffic will be diverted.
In response, City Manager Armando Villa said the city will provide the council with a presentation about its construction schedule for Chavez Boulevard soon, and that it is currently in the design and right of way acquisition phase.
“As soon as that is done we will begin the project,” Villa said.
Some uncertainty also seems to exist about Mexican officials’ plans for port improvements south of the border.
County Supervisor John Renison on Thursday said that Mexican officials have yet to begin their planned port improvements, but are hoping to play “catch up” once funding becomes available.
The Mexican government had allocated port improvement funding about eight years ago, but delays in the allocation of phase 1 funding by the U.S. Congress resulted in Mexican officials spending its port funds elsewhere, Renison said.
Yet, Mexican officials have recently provided assurances that additional funding will be secured and construction will indeed take place on time.
Securing the $248 million needed for local phase 2 construction in a timely manner may be a bigger concern at the moment, Renison said.
Already, a bill containing phase 2 funding has been approved by the U.S. House of Representatives, and awaits Senate approval.
Yet, failure to secure the funding in a timely manner may prompt ongoing construction to come to a halt and force operations to have to restart at a later date, which would incur unfortunate delays.
“That’s not what we want,” Renison said.
During the GSA officials’ presentation on March 15, Mayor Armando Real had inquired about the number of local residents employed on the phase 1 construction project.
The federal government mandates that 23 percent of its contract work be awarded to small businesses, with 5 percent of that going toward underrepresented small business owners such as women, veterans and minorities.
To date, about 25 local small businesses have been involved in the project at one time or another, said Shin.