22 year old border crossing to be expanded
Dec 9 2008
Steve Schwab
http://www.visitrockypoint.com//
On December 6th 2008 at the Arizona-Mexico Commission meeting it was officially announced that the state of Arizona and Mexico will be expanding the border crossing that takes U.S. tourists to Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point) on the Sea of Cortez.
The current port of entry was built 22 years ago and is not designed to handle the amount of visitors who travel to Puerto Penasco on weekends and major holidays. The amount of traffic compounded with stricter re-entry policies have slowed the popular border to a long wait during heavy traffic times. The announcement was made at the 2008 Fall Plenary Session of the Arizona-Mexico Commission (AMC)/ Comisión Sonora-Arizona in Hermosillo, Sonora.
The Governor explained “Many travelers returning from Rocky Point have experienced the 5-hour line at the Port,” She went on further to say “on all levels – federal, state and local – worked hard on the first public-private effort to ease the congestion at the Port or Entry.”
This progress is thanks to a bi-national public-private partnership between Arizona and Mexico was headed by the Tourism Committee and Transportation, Infrastructure and Ports Committee of the AMC. These Committees have been focused for more than a year to facilitate greater traffic capacity for tourists and widen the Lukeville-Sonoyta Point of Entry.
The current Port of Entry (POE) will be expanding from three lanes to five lanes; reducing the wait from approximately five hours to three hours during peak times. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has agreed to staff the newly expanded port once it is finished. The expansion is estimated cost of $2.5 million, which has already been secured in public and private sector agreements. The work is expected to take less than one year to complete.
To watch exclusive video of the Secretary of Tourism discuss the border expansion at the AZ-Mex confrence by clicking the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxeUbDWtw94
January 24th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
The December 6th meeting on the POE was enlightening and the expansion will be greatly appreciated…………………but DA, why are their only 1 or 2 lanes open now………why can’t more lanes be open ALL THE TIME ……..WHO do we need to speak to.
The 3.5 hrs from Phx or Tucson had been increased by 1 hr average……….drivers are speeding more and somday soon their will be more FATALITIES…….people are racing for time…….lets open up ALL the lanes.
January 25th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Great news, on it way to be a major vaction hot spot that you can easily drive and take the whole family. Proper staffing is the direct results of the heads of the department and supervision.