More bridge lanes opening up for summer season

Summer heat will bring more than rising temperatures at the county's border crossings. Traffic is expected to heat up as well.

Starting Memorial Day (May 26) and continuing through Labor Day (Sept. 1), additional lanes will be open at international bridges in anticipation of the surge.

At peak hours, wait times for northbound pedestrian and vehicular traffic at the international bridges increases by as much as 40 minutes to an hour.

Weekend traffic can snag motorists for more than an hour at the Gateway International Bridge, which sees the highest number of crossings in the county.

In 2007, there were 4,331,943 crossings at the Gateway International Bridge, which included motorists and pedestrian crossings, with 2,378,569 crossings reported at Veterans International Bridge and 761,916 reported at the Los Indios Bridge.

It is unknown if this year's wait times increase because of new travel rules that require passers to provide two forms of approved travel documents before they are allowed back into the United States. These requirements began on Jan. 31.

To accommodate additional motorists and pedestrians, all lanes will be open at the Veterans International Bridge, Gateway International Bridge and B&M Bridge. Pedestrian lanes will also be increased. All lanes at the Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios will be open on weekends only.

Freeman said he could meet with county leaders monthly for a "report card," grading the CBP on bridge operations and traffic flow.

Pct. 2 Commissioner John Wood was pleased to see that CPB is doing its part to help with traffic congestion that occurs at the various bridges.

"It is going to alleviate the wait time," Wood predicted, "and keep the traffic flowing."