Breaking News - Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation

Opening of Port of Entry Up in the Air

Jul. 24th, 2010
Cesar Neyoy

SAN LUIS RIO COLORADO, Son. – Already 10 months behind schedule, the Mexican government has yet to announce a new date for the opening of its half of a commercial border crossing it will jointly operate with the U.S. government at San Luis, Ariz. The recently constructed port buildings on the south side of the building have just been turned over for occupancy to the Mexican government, which is in the process of setting a timetable for the opening, said Enrique Orozco, projects director for the International Industrial Park in San Luis Rio Colorado. “The physical work was finished four months ago, and in fact some of the government agencies were already in the process of getting set up inside, but we found that the facilities had not officially been turned over to the federal government,” said Orozco. “That was just done of the 12th of this month. Now the facilities are under the responsibility of INDAABIN, the office that administers this type of federal property.” INDAABIN is the Mexican equivalent of the U.S. General Services Administration, which oversees the acquisition, construction and maintenance of federal buildings. Its initials are the Spanish acronym for Institute of Management and Valuation of Federal Property. “After that, the (Mexican) Ministry of Foreign Relations will be in charge of the agreements for opening the commercial port with the United States,” Orozco said. Officials from INDAABIN and Mexican customs have declined to respond to repeated requests by Bajo El Sol for comments on the status of the port opening. The port, located about five miles east of the existing port of entry in downtown San Luis, Ariz., will serve as an expedited gateway for tractor-trailers and other commercial traffic traveling between the two countries. On the U.S. side of the border, it links up to the area service highway, which can take traffic to Interstate 8 and on to commercial markets in the United States. On the Mexican side, it links up with the industrial park. Officials in the Yuma area and San Luis Rio Colorado have long hoped the port will serve as a magnet for new industry. San Luis, Ariz., officials are counting on the new crossing to relieve congestion in the downtown area by drawing traffic from the current port of entry. The existing port handles both commercial and private vehicles, but the new crossing will handle all commercial traffic, leaving only private vehicles and pedestrians passing through the current crossing. The area service highway – known locally as the Robert Vaughan Expressway – opened a year ago, and the U.S. portion of the commercial port was finished on schedule last September. The Mexican side of the port was also originally scheduled to be open at that time, enabling cross-border traffic to begin flowing through the new gateway. But funding and construction delays pushed that date completion and occupancy of the Mexican buildings. Orozco now anticipates final details will push back the opening on the Mexican port buildings until October. Until then, the crossing will remain shuttered. In the meantime, he added, Mexico's customs, agricultural, immigration and fiscal police agencies will be setting up in the port.

Cesar Neyoy

Baja El Sol
Jul. 24th, 2010

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