Texas border plazas get cargo upgrades

A new U.S. Customs trial initiative to expand commercial vehicle operating hours at four southwest border land ports also coincides with some infrastructure improvements at two major Texas border crossings, making it easier for truckers to clear their loads with fewer delays.

Customs and Border Protection recently announced a six-month test of shipper demand for 24-hour customs service at the Ysleta port of entry in El Paso and the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas. El Paso on Nov. 3 went to around-the-clock operations on weekdays and Laredo will start a similar schedule on Jan. 5. 

The cities of Laredo and Nuevo Laredo hosted a ceremony for the expansion to 24-hour service at World Trade Bridge beginning Jan. 5 and the upcoming construction of seven new inspection booths at World Trade Bridge, which would expand total inbound capacity to 15 lanes.   

Pictures are members of the committee that studied the 24-hour option.The agency added two extra hours to its operating schedule at the Otay Mesa, Calif., border crossing on Oct. 20 and has agreed to expand service by two hours at the Nogales, Ariz., port during the peak agriculture season, beginning Jan. 1.

   The four ports handle about 60 percent of the trade with Mexico.

   Meanwhile, construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in February at the World Trade Bridge to add seven new cargo inspection booths, bringing the plaza's total inbound capacity to 15 lanes. Initial estimates are that the project will cost $7 million to $8 million, according to Laredo port spokesman Rick Pauza.

   CBP's goal is to keep wait times under an hour, but during the peak afternoon and early evening hours truck traffic can back up for longer periods.

   The World Trade Bridge operates from 7 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.

   El Paso and Mexican businesses in mid-October celebrated the opening of a renovated commercial facility at the Ysleta crossing, which typically processes 28,000 to 31,000 inbound trucks per month. The $17.2 million project was designed to increase inspection capacity and streamline the inspection process. The primary feature was the construction of eight new primary inspection booths to replace six original booths.

   A new exit gate at the southeast corner will allow trucks that do not need a secondary inspection to exit without driving through the entire compound, as well as access to the adjacent Texas Department of Public Safety inspection facility.

   Other improvements included additional office and storage space within several buildings, relocation of X-ray and gamma ray inspection machines, and construction of a permanent facility for Food and Drug Administration inspectors, according to the port.

   The Mariposa port in Nogales, which reached capacity in 1989 and is the gateway for 60 percent of all the winter produce from Mexico, gained a third northbound entry lane 18 months ago, courtesy of the Arizona Department of Transportation. The extra access lane is a mixed blessing because the road on the Mexican side leading to the compound has not been widened by the toll road concessionaire.

   CBP officers at the El Paso checkpoint are processing about 30 to 40 trucks during the extended hours, with the vast majority coming in the midnight to 1 a.m. period immediately after normal closing and between 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., just before normal opening, port spokesman Roger Maier said.

   There has been little usage so far of the expanded hours of operation so far at the Otay Mesa facility near San Diego, public affairs officer Vincent Bond said.

   Officials will examine the data monthly and then decide whether to continue extended hours at the four ports.

Source: American Shipper