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Southwest Mobile Storage - Best Mobile Storage & Office Containers In Otay Mesa, CA

Southwest Mobile Storage is a family-owned shipping container business founded in 1995. Our strength for more than 25 years comes from the specialized knowledge and passion of our people, along with serving over 24,000 commercial, construction and residential customers. Our facility and expertise in maintaining, manufacturing, and delivering corrugated steel containers is unrivaled in the industry.

While the rental side of our business is regional with branches throughout the Southwest, our container sales and modification operations are nationwide and becoming global. Otay Mesa, CA offers a wide selection of portable offices and mobile storage containers you can rent, buy or modify.

Our experts in container rental, sales and customization are committed to providing you the highest quality and best experience from service to delivery - our reputation depends on it.

Whether your need is for storage, office space, moving, multi-purpose or custom use, we've got your back. Here's how:

Storage Containers Otay Mesa, CA
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NO MATTER YOUR NEED, WE'VE GOT YOUR BACK.

STORE AT YOUR LOCATION

We bring your storage container to you for convenient, easy access at your home, business or jobsite. Plus, you'll get more choice in storage space and better security, for a fraction of the cost of a pod or add on building, saving money and energy.

STORE AT OUR LOCATION

Not enough room to keep a storage container at your business, home or construction site? No problem - we can store it for you. Plus, you get 70% more space and better security, for a fraction of the cost of public storage units.

CUSTOM STORAGE

Need a permanent storage solution for your business, residence or construction? We sell new and used shipping containers in many sizes with a variety of add-ons. Or customize a container to your specific storage needs with our certified fabrication experts.

LOCAL MOVE

Take your time packing with our moving containers. We'll deliver to your business or home and pick it up whenever you're ready to move. So, you don't have to stress about moving or making multiple trips in one day, like if you rented a moving truck.

LONG-DISTANCE MOVE

Our moving container solutions ensure the long-distance move of your home or business is highly efficient and affordable throughout the southwest. In fact, we usually cost 20%-40% less than full-service movers.

MOVING & STORAGE

We understand move-in and move-out dates might be different. We can store your moving container at our highly secure facilities until you're ready to move to your new home or business location, and you can conveniently access it at any time.

OFFICE USE

Whether you need a workspace, conference room, or other office requirement, our ground-mounted mobile offices meet any and all of your business needs. Plus, it's faster and easier than building additions.

BUSINESS USE

If you need your shipping container to serve multiple uses, such as office-storage combos, breakrooms and even utilities, we've got you covered. We'll modify a custom container to fit your business needs and bring your business to the next level

CUSTOM USE

We'll create a custom container to fit your unique needs anywhere in the US. With our container modification expertise, we make any idea a reality. From pop-up stores to multi-story structures, our unrivaled facilities and fabrication experts do it all.

You'll get your own dedicated storage and container expert to serve as your one point of contact for easy, convenient service you can trust.
With our wide selection of intermodal containers for sale and rent, you'll find exactly what you need, from size, to type and condition.
We maintain our rental fleet to the highest standard - our integrity depends on it.
Our certified, experienced Conex container modification experts have more than 500 years combined experience modifying ISO containers.
All of our containers come with high security dual-locking system for no additional charge, so you can rest assured your stored items stay safe and that you don't have to pay extra for it.
icon-scale
At our unrivaled 90,000 sq ft indoor fabrication facility, ensuring your custom shipping container is made exactly to your specifications.
With our level of service, quality and expertise, you won't find a better value anywhere else.
Our portable offices include lighting and electrical outlets, internet hookups, HVAC and were crafted by our in-house steel container fabrication experts for top-quality construction.

Premium Quality - High Security

With Southwest Mobile Storage, you get much more than a POD or typical Conex box. You also get high security, unparalleled service and unmatched container modification expertise and facilities. No other company offers that much.

Shipping containers and storage containers come in a range of sizes. The most common external lengths are 20ft and 40ft with a width of 8ft. ISO Containers are typically 8ft 6in tall, but high cube containers are 9ft 6in tall. We also have steel containers in a variety of sizes from 10ft long to 45ft long to rent or buy, and we can modify shipping containers into any size you want.

 Rent Storage Containers Otay Mesa, CA

SMS Mobile Storage Containers have these high quality features:

1/8" thick steel plate bottom side rails
High strength steel supporting cross members
1 1/8" thick hardwood floor with galvanized self-tapping screws
16-gauge corrugated steel walls
16-gauge roof
270-degree swing cargo door(s)
High security dual-locking system*
Spot-grinded, primed & repainted with a beige high-grade water reducible alkyd direct-to-metal enamel*
* Comes standard on all rental units

SMS portable workspace containers have these structural features:

High security window bars, lever & deadbolt set with lock box
Studs & R-19 Insulation covered with wood paneling
1 1/8" marine board floor is covered with a durable single part gray epoxy coating
Dual pane low-E horizontal sliding windows with screens and miniblinds
18 Gauge steel polystyrene core 3-hour fire rated personnel door
All of our workspaces are manufactured in-house and arrive new or restored to factory specifications
Exterior load center operating on 100 Amp single phase 230 Volt power
Light switch, receptacles and 4' light fixtures; all wiring is Romex 12/2
CAT-6 voice and data lines with electrical junction box
HVAC units ranging from 1 ton to 2 ton on rentals; ability to customize up to 10 tons of cooling

Having flexible storage containers options is important, but security is crucial to protect your peace of mind and your possessions.

At Southwest Mobile Storage, we don't believe in leaving things to chance. We want you to rest easy knowing your inventory, documents, tools, equipment and other items are safe 24/7. That is why we equip SMS high-security slide bolt locking systems and lockboxes on our entire fleet of rental freight containers.

EVERY ONE OF OUR MOBILE STORAGE CONTAINERS FOR RENT IN Otay Mesa, CA, INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING SAFETY MEASURES:

High-security slide-bolt locking system and extra-long lock box, giving you twice the security and peace of mind.
No holes to ensure your rental shipping container is wind and water-tight.
No rust for your safety.
14-gauge corrugated steel for strength and reinforcement.

Contact us to speak with a helpful, friendly representative to better understand our full range of capabilities. We are happy to answer any questions you have, go over pricing and set up a time and place to deliver your Conex box. Our quotes are 100% free and you are under no obligation to pay for your consultation.

COMMERCIAL STORAGE CONTAINERS TO RENT, BUY OR MODIFY IN Otay Mesa, CA

When you own a business or manage one, it's crucial to have efficient, affordable ways to store inventory and supplies, whether it's to grow your business or adapt to changes in the market, like the many caused by the pandemic.

Renting storage containers to keep at your business eliminates the cost and hassles of sending your staff to offsite storage facilities. Steel containers with roll up doors make storing and retrieving items faster and easier. Auto repair shops and other businesses that need easy access throughout the workday to secure storage for tools, parts, equipment or supplies find renting shipping containers to be the best solution for their business storage needs. Southwest Mobile Storage has your back.

 Storage Containers For Rent Otay Mesa, CA

Renting portable offices gives your business more workspace, breakrooms, pop up stores, security booths and more, without the cost and red tape associated with constructing building additions. Plus, a steel storage container fits neatly into one parking space and provides much stronger security than Pods and way more convenience than self-storage units.

If you have a specific need, we can modify shipping containers to build whatever you need to grow your business. Whether it's a portable workspace to run your business, like a pop-up container bar, or a durable facility for scientific research, like a container laboratory, or even a container gym, our unrivaled fabrication facility and modification experts got you covered. Our full-time, in-house staff of certified welders, engineers, electricians, carpenters and painters have over 500 years combined experience modifying thousands of container projects for just about any business use you can imagine.

WHETHER YOUR BUSINESS IS COMMERCIAL, HEALTHCARE, GOVERNMENT OR EDUCATION, OR YOUR INTEREST IS TO RENT, BUY OR MODIFY SHIPPING CONTAINERS, SMS HAS YOU COVERED:

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Offsite storage alternatives cause a mess of hassles and headaches. Expanding office space and storage capacity at your location saves time, money and hassle of making multiple trips offsite.
We offer more choice in security, size and features in steel Conex boxes or ISO shipping containers than a public storage unit or Pod for less cost and far greater service.
We offer flexible, month-to-month rental agreements and prorate by the day after your first 28-day billing cycle.
With us, you get a dedicated account manager you can rely on, so you can focus on running your business than waste time with a different person every time you call that doesn't know or care as much.
While other companies may have some staff for modifying containers, most outsource the work, so you don't know who is actually doing the modifications or how much they're marking up the price.
 Mobile Storage Containers Otay Mesa, CA
When you modify a shipping container for your business, you won't have to worry about expensive, lengthy and complicated construction.
We have modified thousands of containers nationwide and internationally for more than 25 years for NASA, US Navy, GCP Applied Technologies, Helix and Sundt to name a few. And rent containers to Amazon, Walmart and many of other nationally recognized brands.
Our extensive staff makes it possible to custom build multiple projects simultaneously and our 90,000 sq ft indoor fabrication facility prevents contaminants from interfering with fabrication, which delivers better quality and precision.

HERE'S WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE US TO RENT, BUY OR MODIFY A SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR YOUR HOME:

With an extensive in-house staff and 90,000 sq ft container modification facility, we're able to deliver consistently high quality and work on multiple projects simultaneously for a fast turnaround.

Other companies don't have the facility, staff or resources to modify shipping containers and will outsource the work to various shops who may not have the special experience or tools needed to modify the right way.

You can rest assured knowing your custom container is safe in our hands. Our certified weld and quality control inspectors ensure everything is structurally sound and built to your specifications through every step of the process.

Renting a moving container from us makes your move much less stressful because you won't have to rush to pack your whole house into a moving truck in one day. Instead, you can take your time packing over the course of a month.

Our ISO shipping containers are weatherproof and come with vault-like security, so you don't have to worry about theft or damage to your belongings.

You won't get that level of security from U-Haul or other moving truck companies.

Renting a storage container at your home keeps your belongings close and gives you convenient 24/7 access, so you're always able to retrieve the contents of your container when you need to.

We know move in and move out dates don't always line up. We can store your packed rental container at our secure facility until your new home is ready.

With our mobile storage containers for rent in Otay Mesa, CA, you can save up to 40% when compared to full-service long-distance movers, while gaining more flexibility in your schedule.

MOBILE STORAGE CONTAINERS & PORTABLE OFFICES TO RENT, BUY OR MODIFY IN Otay Mesa, CA

We know your needs may change suddenly. With our extensive inventory and variety of sizes of portable offices and shipping containers to rent, buy or modify in Otay Mesa, CA, we provide fast service and the best value possible so it's easy for you to get whatever you need when you need it.

Renting storage containers and portable offices from us gives you more flexibility when it comes to your schedule and options. If you don't have enough space at your current location or simply would prefer offsite storage, you can keep your rental storage and office containers at your location or ours - whichever is most convenient for you. You also get more options to choose from when it comes to size and features, like portable offices with divided rooms for private meetings or office/storage combos for storage and office space in one container. All while costing a fraction of the price of a pod or self-storage facility.

You can also buy new or used freight containers from us and choose from a variety of add-ons, including lights, electricity, doors and windows. Or fully customize a shipping container to save time, money and energy by skipping the expensive, lengthy process of constructing building additions. We can modify a Conex box into whatever you can imagine for any use you need, from construction tool cribs to office buildings, monitoring stations, mobile communication towers and much more. The possibilities are endless.

HERE'S HOW WE'VE GOT YOUR BACK:

You'll never face hidden fees or surprises with us. We give you transparent billing up front at the best prices.

With us, you get a reliable, dedicated point of contact, who keeps you updated every step of the way. You can rest assured knowing you'll always get what you need, when you need it.

No other company has the breadth and depth of staff and experience that we do when it comes to modifying shipping containers. Our certified welders, engineers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and painters have more than 500 years of combined experience in fabricating custom steel containers.

We prorate your rent by the day after the first 28-day billing cycle, so you don't have to pay for a full month when you only have your mobile containers and offices for a few days.

While other companies may be able to do small container modifications, most don't have an in-house fabrication staff or 90,000 sq ft fabrication facility like we do. As a result, they outsource the work on your custom container, so you don't know who's actually building it.

Rest assured knowing your modified shipping container will be built to the highest quality standards. Our certified weld and quality control inspectors check every step of the fabrication process to ensure everything is structurally sound and built to your specifications.

HOW RENTING A STORAGE CONTAINER AND MOBILE OFFICE WORKS

Whether you're in need of a storage container for your commercial business, a portable office for your construction site, or a moving container for your home, our process is simple and straightforward.

Choose Your Container

Choose the mobile storage solution that works best for your needs. In this step, you will let us know the number of containers you need, their sizes and what types of doors to equip.

Choose Your Options

Let us know if you would like to add any of our rental options, like a folding table or shelving.

Choose Your Security

Choose from padlocks, puck locks and other enhanced security options. All of our storage containers come standard with dual-locking, vault-like security.

Choose Your Delivery Timeframe

You can expect standard delivery within 3-5 days of your order. If you need expedited delivery, we will do everything in our power to accommodate your needs.

Pick-Up Planning

Do you need to keep your shipping container at our location? Prefer to have our team deliver your packed container to a location of your choice? Let us know, and we'll be by your side to work out the logistics.

HOW RENTING A STORAGE CONTAINER AND MOBILE OFFICE WORKS

1

DETERMINE DESTINATION

Let our team know where we should deliver your mobile storage container for rent in Otay Mesa, CA. Be sure to let us know if there are any special conditions that might prevent our drivers from entering your chosen destination. Before you schedule your delivery, let us know which direction you would like the doors of your container to face.

2

SCHEDULE DATE & TIME

Our drivers can deliver your storage container Monday-Friday, between the hours of 6AM and 2PM local time. Our two-hour delivery window is the most precise in the industry. If you desire another delivery time outside of our standard delivery options, we will do our best to accommodate your needs. As a courtesy, our driver will call you at least 30 minutes before they arrive at your drop-off destination.

3

PREPARE FOR YOUR MOBILE STORAGE CONTAINER DELIVERY

Before we deliver your Conex box, prepare your delivery area by ensuring that there are no low overhangs, arches, wires, trees or any other obstacles that could interfere with your delivery. It's a good idea to mark the space where you would like your steel container placed.

4

DELIVERY & SETUP

When our driver arrives, they will back our truck into the space where you would like your shipping container placed. Once we arrive, we will ensure that your container is delivered safely and securely. If placed on asphalt or pavement, we will use wood dunnage pads to make sure your ground surface is protected and the container is level.

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT MOBILE CONTAINERS TO Rent, Buy OR Modify IN Otay Mesa, CA?

Check out our FAQ page or reach out to our helpful customer service team today @

619.498.1920

Latest News in Otay Mesa, CA

$24M Grant Announced For Otay Mesa Bridge Project

Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Andrew Rogers visited San Diego on Thursday to announce the funding for the San Diego bridge project, a 50-year-old Palm Avenue overcrossing, a key connector for the Otay-Mesa-Nestor community and only a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.The funding is intended to make improvements to reduce traffic delays and increase freight movements, while reducing long-term maintenance costs.Find out what's happening in San Diegowith free, real-time updates from Patch.More than 38,000 vehic...

Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Andrew Rogers visited San Diego on Thursday to announce the funding for the San Diego bridge project, a 50-year-old Palm Avenue overcrossing, a key connector for the Otay-Mesa-Nestor community and only a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

The funding is intended to make improvements to reduce traffic delays and increase freight movements, while reducing long-term maintenance costs.

Find out what's happening in San Diegowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

More than 38,000 vehicles cross the bridge every day and the White House estimated that this project will create more than $30 million in benefits from reduced congestion and traffic delays on this critical route.

The announcement followed the opening of the new West Mission Bay Drive Bridge, attended by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria and White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu.

Find out what's happening in San Diegowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"This Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant will help us upgrade this aging, 50-year-old bridge, improving traffic flow and making it safer for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike," Gloria said.The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration's grants of nearly $300 million for nine bridge projects in eight states and the District of Columbia.

"Ensuring we constantly invest in San Diego's infrastructure to adequately meet the needs of residents is of the utmost importance," said Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego. "These $24 million in federal funds will help revitalize and improve the Palm Avenue / I-805 Bridge and will also fund other much-needed mobility projects in the surrounding area."

Specifically, the money granted Thursday will reconfigure the bridge to allow additional left turn lane space, install six-foot-wide sidewalks and separated bike lanes, realign off- and on-ramps and install bus stop sidewalk landings, among other improvements.

"Thank you to President Biden's Administration for the $24 million infrastructure investment in our community," said Nora Vargas, chairwoman of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. "These types of investments from our federal government are critical so that we can advance projects that improve the safety and quality of life for all San Diegans."

Vice President Kamala Harris announced the grants at the Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C.

"When bridges have to close for repairs — or worse, begin to fail — it can cut off access to an entire community, adding hours to commutes, costing money for local businesses, and delaying first responders from getting to an emergency," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

"The grant awards we're announcing today are helping communities of all sizes modernize their bridges so that school buses, delivery trucks, ambulances, and commuters can get where they need to go quickly and safely."

The bridge project in San Diego is expected to reduce traffic delays and improve freight movement, and reduce maintenance costs. It is estimated to create over $30 million in benefits from reduced congestion and traffic delays, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

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--Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc

White House delivers $150 million for new Otay Mesa East Port of Entry

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The White House on Thursday announced that it is awarding $1.5 billion in grants for 26 transportation projects nationwide, including the planned Otay Mesa East Port of Entry in south San Diego, which is getting $150 million during this first round of funding.The mone...

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — The White House on Thursday announced that it is awarding $1.5 billion in grants for 26 transportation projects nationwide, including the planned Otay Mesa East Port of Entry in south San Diego, which is getting $150 million during this first round of funding.

The money is part of the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant program, or INFRA, which is being funded by President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Over the next five years, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide approximately $8 billion for the INFRA projects.

According to the Department of Transportation, the money is to be used for “highway, multimodal freight and rail projects that will make the nation’s transportation systems safer and more resilient, eliminate supply chain bottlenecks, and improve critical freight movements.”

“Today we are announcing transformative investments in our nation’s roads, bridges, ports, and rail to improve the way Americans get around and help lower the costs of shipping goods,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Using funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are able to support more excellent community-led projects this year than ever before.”

Administrators behind the Otay Mesa East Port of Entry and Highway 11, which will connect the border crossing to the rest of San Diego’s transportation grid, said the money will ensure the project gets done on time.

“This is the missing link to our financial package,” said Maria Rodriguez, project development program manager for the San Diego Association of Governments. “This really puts it together and closes the loop around the funding to take us to the final construction.”

The project carries an overall budget of $1.1 billion.

“Without this, we would be scratching our heads and trying to find an additional source of funding, we are ready to proceed 100 percent,” Rodriguez said.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is in charge of the port of entry’s construction along with the completion of Highway 11.

“When you get the biggest INFRA grant in the nation it shows how much the federal government is supporting the Otay Mesa East and State Route 11 project,” said Mario Orso, chief deputy district director of capital for Caltrans’ District 11. “It’s money that now the state of California and SANDAG will not have to go get, and if we would’ve gotten the money we would’ve had to pay interest and now we won’t.”

One of the conditions of the grant is that part of the money is spent on charging stations for federal vehicles to be used in the port of entry.

A California Highway Patrol weigh station and inspection area will also be built with the money to ensure commercial trucks meet safety and clean-air standards.

“We have already invested $600 million basically on the right of way and transportation facility, now we’re starting to prep the port property,” said Orso. “That’s huge news, it’s helping us get closer to constructing the port of entry,”

According to Orso, the plan is to start building the actual facility next year and have it ready to go by September 2024.

U.S. allocates $150 million to support construction of new border crossing at Otay Mesa

OTAY MESA — Construction of the new Otay Mesa border crossing will receive $150 million in federal money.Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will announce Thursday that the Biden administration will allocate a total of $1.5 billion from the Infrastructure to Rebuild America program for projects that “strengthen supply chains, help make goods more affordable, and are located in rural areas and historically disadvantaged communities.”A chunk of that money will go toward the new port of entry, known as...

OTAY MESA —

Construction of the new Otay Mesa border crossing will receive $150 million in federal money.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will announce Thursday that the Biden administration will allocate a total of $1.5 billion from the Infrastructure to Rebuild America program for projects that “strengthen supply chains, help make goods more affordable, and are located in rural areas and historically disadvantaged communities.”

A chunk of that money will go toward the new port of entry, known as Otay Mesa East or Otay II, that is under construction between California and Mexico.

“Today we are announcing transformative investments for the nation’s roads, bridges, ports and rail to improve the way Americans get around, as well as help lower the costs of shipping freight,” Buttigieg said in a statement.

Last week, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif) announced the U.S. Department of Transportation will allocate $150 million to the new port, one of 26 projects nationwide to benefit from the federal money.

Unlike other ports of entry, such as San Ysidro, this new gateway will require a fee that will guarantee an average wait time of 20 minutes.

The Otay Mesa East border crossing will initially have 10 lanes — five for passenger vehicles and five for trucks — with the option to interchange them depending on demand.

“These funds are crucial to move construction along,” Rep. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) said in a statement.

The Otay Mesa East project includes both construction of the new port of entry and a roadway network in the area.

It also includes inspection equipment for Customs and Border Protection personnel, zero-emission chargers for staff vehicles, and a commercial vehicle screening facility to be used by the California Highway Patrol and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

U.S. and Mexican authorities have said the new entry will be ready by 2024.

Last month, Padilla, a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, visited the site where the port of entry is being built.

He was accompanied by San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, as well as officials from the California Department of Transportation and the San Diego Association of Governments.

“Modernizing our land ports of entry is critical for improving the efficiency of cross-border travel that is an engine of California’s economy,” Padilla said in a statement. “It is important to invest in our border region as we work to recover equitably from the COVID-19 pandemic and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” he added.

In August, leaders from both sides of the border gathered on the U.S. side of the construction site to celebrate a groundbreaking.

It is estimated that each year the increasing border wait times cost Mexico and the United States a combined $3.4 billion in economic output and more than 88,000 jobs, California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis said at the time.

“The Otay Mesa East port of entry is one of California’s highest priority infrastructure projects,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said. “A state-of-the-art facility that will reduce wait times, curb greenhouse gas emissions, power economic growth, enhance regional mobility and bolster international trade along the busiest border region in the Western Hemisphere.”

Freeway connector to border in Otay Mesa is complete

Officials envision improved transit in area that will include a new port of entryOTAY MESA — The last link of a South County roadway network that seeks to improve mobility in the border region is complete. Now construction of the much-awaited second border crossing at Otay Mesa will follow.Caltrans and SANDAG representatives, along with federal, state, local and Mexican officials, celebrated on Tuesday the completion of the southbound state Route 125 to westbound SR-905 freeway connector in Otay Mesa. The new con...

Officials envision improved transit in area that will include a new port of entry

OTAY MESA —

The last link of a South County roadway network that seeks to improve mobility in the border region is complete. Now construction of the much-awaited second border crossing at Otay Mesa will follow.

Caltrans and SANDAG representatives, along with federal, state, local and Mexican officials, celebrated on Tuesday the completion of the southbound state Route 125 to westbound SR-905 freeway connector in Otay Mesa. The new connector marks the completion of the SR-125, SR-905 and SR-11 highway network.

SANDAG and Caltrans officials expect the new connector will open to traffic sometime next week.

It also improves traffic flow and access and creates a seamless connection between border communities and the rest of San Diego region, said SANDAG Chair and Encinitas Mayor, Catherine Blakespear.

“We can more efficiently move people and goods throughout the region and doing so we are able to alleviate traffic congestion and travel delays, improving travel times and air quality for our border communities,”Blakespear said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

This $28.9 million project was partially funded with the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

“This is a very important milestone,” said Caltrans District 11 Director Gustavo Dallarda. “Now, we are ready to build the actual Otay Mesa East port of entry.”

Prep-work on the U.S. side will begin next month with the goal of completing construction by September 2024, or sooner, if possible.

The new port of entry, also known as Otay II, will have 10 lanes for passenger vehicles and commercial trucks, with the option for these lanes to be interchangeable depending on time and demand.

Unlike other border crossings, such as San Ysidro or the existing one in Otay Mesa, the new port of entry will require a toll that will be collected upon exiting the inspection point on the U.S. side. Revenue will be divided between the U.S. and Mexico.

Toll price will vary depending on demand, and it will guarantee an average waiting time of 20 minutes or less, Dallarda said.

On the Mexican side, the project is also moving forward to deliver within the timeframe agreed by both countries, said Carlos González Gutiérrez, the Consul General of Mexico in San Diego.

“The Mexican government is doing its part, aware that here in the U.S. construction is slated to begin next month,” he said.

Rep. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) praised the binational collaboration. “It’s incredible to see what can be achieved when both of our countries come together on a united front.

“The Otay Mesa East port of entry will help achieve the bold new vision for transforming the way people and goods move throughout our region by improving regional mobility, bolstering binational trade, and fueling economic growth for both the U.S. and Mexico,” Vargas said.

New business and medical lane opens at Otay Mesa border crossing

Lane is used by those with a special pass under the Fast Lane programBy Alexandra MendozaTIJUANA — A third border booth opened Wednesday for users of the Fast Lane crossing program created for U.S. residents traveling to Tijuana for medical or business purposes.The Fast Lane program began more than a decade ago to encourage medical tourism in Tijuana. D...

Lane is used by those with a special pass under the Fast Lane program

By Alexandra Mendoza

TIJUANA —

A third border booth opened Wednesday for users of the Fast Lane crossing program created for U.S. residents traveling to Tijuana for medical or business purposes.

The Fast Lane program began more than a decade ago to encourage medical tourism in Tijuana. Doctors enrolled in the program can ask for a single-use pass that allows their patients to cross the border back into the United States through a special lane where the wait is shorter.

Years later, the program was expanded to include business people, chambers of commerce, companies and non-governmental organizations that promote economic development.

The issuance of these passes increased from 138,000 to 296,000 in the last year, according to Mexican authorities. This 114 percent increase represents an approximate collection of 80 million pesos, according to a press release.

This new booth is the first to open at the Otay Mesa border crossing (access through Boulevard de las Bellas Artes) and the third in total. It will operate from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday. The other two fast lane crossing points are at the San Ysidro border crossing. The booths are on the Mexican side of the border crossings.

“(Users) will have an easy, agile and, above all, stress-free crossing,” said Tijuana Mayor Montserrat Caballero during the inauguration ceremony of the new fast lane.

“It fills us with optimism and satisfaction to be able to provide — with this type of project — benefits in terms of mobility, economic development, environment and, above all, to encourage medical tourism in this city” she added.

The first person to use the new lane was a woman resident of Chula Vista who said she had gone for a medical appointment at the Hospital Angeles de Tijuana.

Under this program, health care providers, dentists or business organizations purchase the passes from the city of Tijuana in order to give them free of charge to patients or business people residing on the other side of the border.

For medical service providers, each pass costs 287.70 pesos (about $15), and for the business sector it is 575.40 pesos (about $30).

About 2,000 medical service providers in Tijuana offer the service of granting medical passes to their patients, said Abraham Sanchez, director of the Medical Health Cluster of Tijuana.

“Many doctors, as part of their advertising, put ‘we have a medical pass for patient service,’” he noted. “That is a plus for us (...) if we have a medical pass. It increases the number of patients who visit us.”

Sanchez estimated that about 90 percent of the passes issued as part of the program are used by people traveling for medical reasons.

Similarly, the business sector seeks to attract investment in the city by offering a quick return for people traveling for business purposes and living in the United States.

“There are certain chambers that issue you this pass because they have business meetings,” said Francisco Rubio, president of the Business Coordinating Council in Tijuana. “It’s complicated for a business person to come to a meeting and have to do three or four hours (back to the United States).”

In October 2019, an investigation by the Tijuana municipal government detected some irregularities in the use of the lane, including people paying for passes when they should have been free for patients.

Caballero said they remain vigilant to ensure the proper use of the program. She added that, at the beginning of her administration, which will be one year old in the next few days, many medical passes were pulled from people “who had no reason to have them.”

“We have been withdrawing them, re-engineering who should and who should not have a medical pass.”

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