Sonoyta exit improvements

JoseAz

Well Known Member
We came through the border yesterday evening and I notices a bunch of guys doing some demolition on the walkway/buildings on the exit side of the Mexico port of entry. I talked with the agent. They are taking down portions of a building to add another exit lane into the US.
Removing that bottleneck should help get through at busy times, if our border guard staffs up.

I hope they train the one armed guy and tortilla ladies on the new traffic plattern :)
 

mondone

Whitecaps
Municipal coppers may not be happy about it. May cut into their "escort to the front on the line" tips.
 

Roberto

Well Known Member
We came through the border yesterday evening and I notices a bunch of guys doing some demolition on the walkway/buildings on the exit side of the Mexico port of entry. I talked with the agent. They are taking down portions of a building to add another exit lane into the US.
Removing that bottleneck should help get through at busy times, if our border guard staffs up.

I hope they train the one armed guy and tortilla ladies on the new traffic plattern :)
Since the bottleneck is on the US side don't see how widening on the Mex side will help . Just enlarges the parking lot on the Mex. side that the exit lanes create.
 

JoseAz

Well Known Member
Lukeville Border Crossing Will Soon Have SENTRI Lane



































Everyone who has crossed from Rocky Point back into the USA on a Sunday after a busy weekend knows all too well the pain of waiting in line for an hour, or two, or even longer before continuing the trip home, turning an easy 4 hour drive into a "now we have to stop for lunch" kind of drive. Still well worth the trouble to visit Rocky Point, but soon there will be another option available - a dedicated SENTRI lane.


What is a SENTRI lane? SENTRI stands for Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection, and it is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers through the border checkpoints. Participants may enter the United States by using a dedicated primary lane into the United States at participating Southern land border ports.


How do I get a SENTRI card? It's easy. Just follow these steps:

  1. Create a Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) System account. Regardless of your age, you must have your own TTP account.
  2. Log in to your TTP account and complete the application. A non-refundable fee is required with each completed application.
  3. After accepting your completed application and fee, CBP will review your application. If your application is conditionally approved, then your TTP account will instruct you to schedule an interview at a SENTRI Enrollment Center. Each applicant must schedule a separate interview.
  4. You will need to bring your valid passport(s) and one other form of identification, such as a driver's license or ID card to the interview. If you are a lawful permanent resident, you must present your permanent resident card. Also, required are vehicle registration and evidence of United States automobile insurance by a company authorized to write automobile insurance in the United States.
Where is are SENTRI Enrollment Centers in AZ located? OK, so not terribly convenient locations for those living in Phoenix or Tucson, but very likely worth the trip, considering all of the time you'll save in future trips crossing the border.


Douglas, Arizona Enrollment Center

1012 G Avenue Suite 107

Contact Information: (520) 417-7440


Nogales, Arizona Enrollment Center

9 N. Grand Avenue

Contact Information: (520) 375-5801


San Luis, Arizona Enrollment Center

1375 South Avenue E.

Contact Information: (928) 722-6801


The City of Sonoyta is also adding a lane of traffic so that the line doesn't stretch so far back from the border and there is talk of adding more inspection stations in the near future as well. Of course, as we all know, having a lot of stations doesn't mean much unless there are Customs Agents working those stations. But, hopefully, adding Agents is part of the plan as well. In any case, this will be a definite improvement and should really help save time for frequent visitors to Rocky Point.
 

Queen of Kings

Well Known Member
Pass. A lot of hoops to jump through. I will just leave early and avoid all the lines. Don't really need the feds looking down at me at an interview asking me all sorts of questions they have no business asking.
 

ernesto

Well Known Member
Boy did that turn out to be an illusion......To this day there is no sign they are going to put in a Sentri lane......
I don't see that being a solution unless you have multiple lanes to queue up in like Tijuana to San Diego. Our problem in Sonoyta is getting to the front of the line in order to utilize that lane. Kind of like the "Ready Lane" they have now, you can't get to it. I asked one of the BP guys why it says turn off cellular devices, He said the boss worded it that way but that's not right. The rule is you must mute and not answer devices
 
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Queen of Kings

Well Known Member
I don't see that being a solution unless you have multiple lanes to queue up in like Tijuana to San Diego. Our problem in Sonoyta is getting to the front of the line in order to utilize that lane. Kind of like the "Ready Lane" they have now, you can't get to it. I asked one of the BP guys why it says turn off cellular devices, He said the boss worded it that way but that's not right. The rule is you must mute and not answer devices
Remember, rules and policies are not laws. Just because a sign is posted they don't want you to do this or that, does not make it illegal.
 

Roberto

Well Known Member
Remember, rules and policies are not laws. Just because a sign is posted they don't want you to do this or that, does not make it illegal.
I think this depends on how a Law is written, what it encompasses. If a law says it is a violation to ignore 'official' public signs then seems ignoring the sign is a violation of law. Sort of like its illegal to refuse to obey a law enforcement person.
 

Wood Spinner

Well Known Member
You mention getting it at Sky Harbor airport and using it for flying. Is it in fact the same pass for the Mexican border?
 
I don't see that being a solution unless you have multiple lanes to queue up in like Tijuana to San Diego. Our problem in Sonoyta is getting to the front of the line in order to utilize that lane. Kind of like the "Ready Lane" they have now, you can't get to it. I asked one of the BP guys why it says turn off cellular devices, He said the boss worded it that way but that's not right. The rule is you must mute and not answer devices
I found a design online of a planned expansion that would take all cars out of the center of Sonoyta and push the lines east towards the fences and then loop back around into the Lukeville Port of Entry. It was a pretty awesome design and I am wondering if that was still the plan that they discussed at the Mexico-Arizona event in Dec 2017. If I can find it I will post it here. But yes you are right Sonoyta needs more lanes so a Ready and Sentri can go in.
 

Buffalo Marty

Well Known Member
https://rockypoint360.com/campaign-seeks-signatures-to-encourage-sentri-lane-at-lukeville-sonoyta-crossing/

In the article it mentions current plan is 2023, I still wonder how they would manage Sentri traffic versus "normal' traffic. You would need a dedicated Sentri lane going way back into Sonoyta. In Nogales they use concrete barricades that create a dedicated lane going a couple hundred feet into Mexico, but even then there are issues where the opening to the Sentri lane gets "blocked" when the normal lines are long. I've never experienced it, but I have heard that in Sonoyta the line can go all the way back to the gas station on the worst days. For a Sentri lane to function, you need to be able to segregate traffic effectively.
 

Buffalo Marty

Well Known Member

All in Spanish but Mayor Kiko confirmed the SENTRI lane will definitely be completed on the US side. However, the letter from CBP indicates that the project is contingent on Mexico making needed improvements on its side of the border, primarily a dedicated "approach" lane. Kiko said he wants funding approved "before 2021". We will see...
 

brokenwave

Well Known Member
Today while crossing into Mexico I saw a lot of construction equipment and was hoping they started on improving the crossing with additional lanes with Sentri/Readi lanes. Nope! . Just a Pedestrian Barrier Avoidance system. LOL
 
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