‘Border Carmageddon’ likely to bring gridlock to U.S.-Mexico crossing in San Diego

Anyone thinking about visiting our neighbors south of the border this weekend might want to go on foot.

The San Ysidro port of entry closed to traffic traveling from the U.S. to Mexico at 3 a.m. Saturday morning and will remain shut until noon Monday. Southbound traffic crossing into Mexico is expected to reach maximum gridlock if people don’t make other plans. All cars that normally would pass through the busiest port of entry in the world will be funneled through Otay Mesa.

“If everyone who crosses on a daily basis or a weekend basis crosses, we’re going to have really terrible traffic delays going into Mexico,” said Anthony Kleppe, a senior asset manager with the U.S. General Services Administration.

Authorities have likened the weekend shut down to “Carmageddon,” when part of the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles was closed for a weekend in 2011.

Kleppe said most people in the San Diego and Tijuana region have been informed over the past two months to avoid the port this weekend, and he hopes it won’t be a problem.

He’s been doing what he calls an “Uber test,” asking Uber drivers whether they’ve heard about the closure. In recent weeks, all have said yes.

“I think we’ve been fairly successful in ensuring that the traveling public is aware of the closure,” Kleppe said. “We’re hopeful that they’re going to heed the warning and enjoy the communities that they’re in, stay there and plan their trips accordingly. I’m really not envisioning a terrible traffic jam.”