Plans for port of entry hold much promise

Recently, we urged that improvements be made to the current San Luis, Ariz., port of entry to deal with long lines and delays which were hurting businesses on this side of border and frustrating border crossers.
 
Well, we learned details last week of plans by the federal government to work on the port, which is now being referred to as San Luis I port of entry. A new commercial port is being built east of the current one and it is being called San Luis II.
 
When the second port is finishing the plan is to start work on completely renovating the current one, very good news for local merchants and for those who traverse the border frequently.
 
The overview presented by a representative of the federal General Services Administration (GSA) was very promising. There are plans to expand San Luis I from six lanes to 11 lanes of non-commercial traffic. Some lanes will be designated for specialized traffic. And there will be a bigger area for secondary inspections.
 
There will also be allowances for the government's Sentri program which permits people to sign up for a quick identification pass so they can bypass normal inspections.
 
That's good news, but there is one continuing problem - money.
 
Obviously with the current state of the economy, the likelihood of major projects by the government is more remote than normal, at least in the immediate future. The time might be right for the port renovation, however.
 
Work cannot begin until the San Luis II commercial port is finished in late 2009 or early 2010. The GSA representative said the plan is to seek funding for the San Luis project in 2011. Economic observers are predicting a turnaround in 2010 which would meld nicely with the funding request.
 
Even when the funds become available, it will take two years to finish the expansion and renovation, so the improvements are still a ways down the road. But there is at least the hope of a better experience for local border crossers at San Luis, Ariz.