GSA doubles number of pedestrian booths at Otay Mesa Port of Entry

August 21, 2023

Six additional lanes increase inspection capacity and ease wait times

SAN DIEGO, Calif. ㅡ The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announces the completion of the pedestrian processing area for entry into the United States. Northbound pedestrian inspection booths were added as part of the expansion project at the Otay Mesa Land Port of Entry (LPOE) in San Diego, California. The project doubled the number of pedestrian inspection booths from six to 12 and was part of the larger $134 million port modernization and expansion project. The significant increase in pedestrian inspection capacity will not only support the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) security mission but will also allow them to operate more inspection booths, facilitate pedestrian processing, and help ease historically long border crossing wait times.

“The expansion project allowed GSA to address long pedestrian wait times typical for undersized facilites with insufficient processing capacity,” explained Scott Shin, GSA Region 9 LPOE Project Executive. “Effectively doubling the Otay Mesa LPOE pedestrian inspection capacity should enhance the travelers’ crossing experience and reduce border wait times while providing CBP with technology and infrastructure to support their mission.”

“The completion of this project marks a transformative milestone and symbolizes the collaborative efforts and vision of all involved,” stated Rosa Hernandez, Port Director for the Otay Mesa Land Port of Entry. “Our aim is to facilitate lawful trade and travel and improve the daily life of thousands from the region who cross every day.”

In April 2022, GSA completed improvements to the port's commercial inspection facilities, constructing a new commercial annex building, improving truck circulation within the port, and increasing the number of commercial inspection lanes from nine to 16. The project also included constructing a new visitor parking lot, an employee parking structure, and additional infrastructure. The final phase of the project will repave Roll Drive leading to the pedestrian area and the entire port modernization is scheduled to be completed in early January 2024.

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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet, overseeing about $87 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best customer experience and value in real estate, acquisition, and technology services to the government and the American people. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.