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Tecate border crossing

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol will extend a program to expedite border crossings at the Tecate port of entry at least through the end of the year, officials announced October 3.

"Our hope is to reduce the wait time for travelers during this upcoming holiday season," said Tecate port director Carlos Silva in a release accompanying the announcement.

Earlier this year, the Tecate crossing began allowing passenger vehicles to utilize the two commercial lines in addition to the usual pair of standard inspection lanes while the commercial port was officially closed from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m., doubling the number of stations available to commuters. Throughout the initial phase of the program, officials have coordinated with their Mexican counterparts to divert passenger traffic into commercial lanes during the closure of the truck crossing.

The Tecate crossing, about 26 miles east of the Tijuana port of entry, has rarely surpassed morning wait times of 30 minutes since the extra lanes were made available. Tijuana waits, by comparison, average an hour and a half to two hours.