Drivers heading south on Interstate 5 near the San Ysidro Land Port of Entry will experience significant traffic delays when a $2.7 million construction project begins this week.
The work will take place in two phases over roughly three weeks and is aimed at improving safety, security and traffic flow at the busy border crossing, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The first phase begins at 9 p.m. Tuesday and runs through 5 a.m. Jan. 9, and includes the closure of the Camino de la Plaza on-ramp and the six western-most lanes of southbound I-5.
Southbound traffic on I-5 and Interstate 805 will merge into fewer lanes as vehicles approach the border, while the Camino de la Plaza off-ramp and access to Tijuana, Mexico, through the El Chaparral crossing will remain open.
Crews will remove speed humps near the southbound inspection booths and replace temporary concrete barriers with permanent dividers, the CHP said.