Posted: Mar 11, 2010 2:40 AM
Updated: Mar 11, 2010 2:40 AM
TUBAC - A new border checkpoint is going up near the current one on I-19, and its going to have some added structural boosts.
According to the feds, the 5-million dollar project is going to up the ante for enforcement. Compared to the current checkpoint its going to be bigger and there will be a roof.
Right now a narrow overpass is the only cover and when it rains they actually have to shut the checkpoint down; something agents said smugglers have started to take advantage of.
Omar Candelaria the Special Operations Supervisor for the Border Patrol said, "National security is incumbent upon border security and we can't afford to allow the weather to dictate our operations and dictate when we're able to inspect vehicles or not."
The new checkpoint won't just be good for the agents they said it's also good for all the cars going through it with the addition of a third lane. Candelaria said, "The traffic will be able to flow a lot better and the border patrol will be able to do its job more affectively."
And that's good news for residents in surrounding areas like Tubac.
Christopher Bremser who works in Tubac said, "When it's done it will be good. It will speed things up. I go through two or three times a day so it will speed things up and make things a lot better."
But not everybody is happy about it. Bremser's dad Tim said it's not going to be any quicker and the problems it's causing at night with construction aren't worth it.
Tim Bremser said, "The semi's going through there literally had to go down to about 4-5 miles per hour just to get through that maze. Right now it's going to be an inconvenience."
But they both agreed its better to be doing the construction at night then during the day.
Weather permitting the canopy is expected to be complete by next week.
Comments