Commercial buses traveling to Mexico will no longer be able to cross at the DeConcini Port of Entry in downtown Nogales during the day.
The U.S. General Services Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will redirect buses to the Mariposa Port of Entry west of the city effective Monday, Dec. 19.
Buses will enter Mexico at Mariposa between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. One lane will be open at DeConcini for southbound buses between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
A recent study of the storm water tunnel under the port showed strain from heavy loads, which prompted the change, said Traci Madison, a spokeswoman for the GSA.
She said the DeConcini port was designed as a noncommercial port.
Passengers should not notice the change and may even find the southbound trip quicker due to avoiding the congestion in downtown Nogales, Arizona, said Keith Rosenblum, a spokesman for Tap Royal bus lines, which has its U.S. headquarters in Tucson.
“What CBP has accomplished at the ports of entry in Nogales has demonstrated an agility rarely seen in government,” he said. The dedicated northbound lane, for example, has significantly reduced wait times at the border.
“It’s actually fun to see private vehicles waiting an hour or two while bus passengers cruise on through in minutes,” Rosenblum said.
“There are between 20 and 30 buses daily, each with 30 to 40 passengers … that’s a lot of people to process but it’s efficient and it’s 20 or 30 less vehicles that are sitting in line and spewing exhaust.”
