Mexico border crossing to reopen 12 hours ahead of schedule

SAN DIEGO — The busiest border crossing in the United States was set to reopen about 12 hours ahead of schedule Monday after it closed for the weekend to travellers who normally drive through to Mexico.

The San Ysidro Port of Entry connecting San Diego to Tijuana closed at 3 a.m. Saturday for work on a $741 million expansion project. Four out of five southbound lanes were expected to reopen at midnight Monday, officials said.

One lane will remain closed for further construction.

The expansion was believed to be the largest renovation of a crossing along the nearly 2,000-mile-long U.S.-Mexico border. It has been in the works for years to ease congestion and boost cross-border commerce.

There were no significant delays during much of 57-hour closure of all Mexico-bound car traffic at the San Ysidro border crossing, where about 50,000 cars and 20,000 pedestrians go back and forth on weekdays.

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Motorists were directed east to the much smaller Otay Mesa crossing.

U.S. officials repeatedly warned travellers to avoid driving to Tijuana from San Diego until the crossing reopens.

Once the expansion is completed in 2019, there will be twice the number of lanes to handle the estimated 40,000 vehicles that pass through San Ysidro on weekends.

The Associated Press