SAN YSIDRO.- Starting this Monday, thousands of pedestrians walking daily through the border will have to take a different route to get into Tijuana.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers along with the General Services Administration (GSA) set up the new southbound pedestrian crossing right by the San Ysidro trolley station.

There was a low influx of people crossing in the morning due to the Puerta Mexico access being still open, but that will change next Thursday when it permanently closes.

Angélica DeCima, a CBP spokesperson, confirmed that on September 27 at 9am the pedestrian crossing in Puerta Mexico will stop functioning.

The closing is needed to start with the construction work of the lanes that will connect the I-5 with the El Chaparral crossing port, facility that will start functioning on November first according to US authorities.

Ernesto Juárez, a San Ysidro resident with family members in Tijuana says he is happy with the rerouting because there will be no more need to cross the pedestrian bridge that goes over the freeway.

"It was very tiring to cross the bridge, it's easier this way; I get off the trolley and cross right there," he said.

The Mexican side set up police agents to help with the traffic flow on the right side of the border, where a number of cars and taxis gathered waiting to pick passengers up.

The biggest concern both for pedestrians and for drivers is if the infrastructure will be enough on Thursday, when people will have only one way of crossing south.

*Video CBP

Alexandra.Mendoza@sandiegored.com

Translation: Karen.balderas@sandiegored.com