The hours and hours of waiting at the nation's busiest border crossing between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico are becoming a thing of the past, thanks to a $741 million construction project that has shortened the crossing and boosted an increase in passengers.
Since the addition of vehicle lanes in September, waits during the morning rush have dropped to less than 45 minutes from two hours, and less than 10 minutes during lulls. A few months ago when waits topped four hours on busy weekends.
"I lost so much time that it made me cry," said a Tijuana resident Alexandra Acua, who had stopped crossing years ago because of the stress. "Now, I'm happy."
Delays have dropped by 50 to 75 percent, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Shorter lines have fueled a 20 percent increase in passengers, resulting in more visits by Americans to Mexico for family visits or getaway weekends.
One of every 13 people who come to the U.S. goes through San Ysidro, nearly twice as active as the busiest crossing on the Canadian border in Buffalo, New York. About 50,000 motorists and 25,000 pedestrians cross daily.
IN-DEPTH:
New Lanes Ease Flow Of Traffic At U.S.-Mexico Border
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Commuting Gets Creative For Global Rush Hour
--The Associated Press