see also: in January 2009:   CBP Officers Discover 957 Pounds of Marijuana in Concrete Pipes   CBP Canine Detects $600,000 Worth of Marijuana at Douglas Port   CBP Officers Seize $80,000 of Marijuana at Naco Port of Entry   Border Patrol Stops Vehicle, Leads to Meth Seizure   CBP Officers at Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge Seize Fake $20’s Found during Outbound Inspection   Border Patrol Agents Rescue Woman Injured in Car Accident   U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers Arrest Wanted Sex Offender ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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El Paso, Texas – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in El Paso are alerting members of the traveling public that traffic at the downtown Paso Del Norte international crossing at the El Paso port of entry will be rerouted from the westernmost five lanes to the easternmost four lanes at midnight tonight. This is the latest change in the ongoing $26.6 million PDN expansion project which began in June 2007.

Starting at midnight, CBP Field Operations officers will process northbound vehicular traffic in lanes one through four. Lanes five through nine will be closed. While the western lanes are closed, workers will begin upgrades including the installation of Radio Frequency Identification technology hardware in the vehicle inspection lanes.

The improvements will help speed travel and further enhance border security. The RFID deployment is part of a national construction initiative at 39 major entry points along the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico over the coming months.

Use of RFID will eventually enable swifter processing at border crossings for travelers using new state-of-the-art travel documents. These documents include the passport card – a wallet-sized, cost-effective alternative to the traditional passport specifically designed for cross-border land and sea travel – and enhanced driver’s licenses being produced by several states.

CBP is urging those who normally use the PDN crossing plan to add additional time to their trips if they elect to continue using the downtown crossing because of the reduced inspectional capacity (9 lanes before construction began). Border crossers may also wish to consider using alternative crossing points including the Santa Teresa port of entry. Border crossing time information is updated hourly at the CBP Web site. Frequent border crossers are also encouraged to enroll in the SENTRI/Dedicated Commuter Lane program in El Paso as an alternative. Enrollees who pass a background check are entitled to use DCL lanes at the Stanton and Ysleta crossing where wait times are generally five minutes of less. As an added benefit, the CBP issued SENTRI card will also meet the requirements of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative passport rule at any border crossing. Service hours at El Paso’s two SENTRI locations were recently expanded as an added incentive.

When complete, the $26.6 million project will add nine new pedestrian inspection lanes and two additional vehicular inspection lanes to the existing facility. The project will also remodel and substantially increase the size of existing structures at the port, add new office space, and replace existing kennel facilities. The 900-day construction project is slated to be completed in June 2009.

The most visible past of the project for the traveling public will the addition of numerous inspection lanes. When the project is completed, PDN will have 14 pedestrian inspection lanes (up from 5) and 11 vehicular inspection lanes (up from 9).

The space to add the new inspection lanes will be created by relocating the existing CBP “head house” administration building to the far northern end of the secondary inspection capacity. The existing head house currently occupies space between lanes four and five at the port, which will be converted to inspection lanes.

In addition to the new lanes, the project will upgrade and almost double in size the existing 30,309 square foot administration building by providing 25,955 square feet of additions to the building. Plans also call for a new 14,311 square foot dog kennel to house 60-canines at the northeast end of the facility. The existing dog kennel building will be renovated to create office space for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Other changes include the construction of a bus lane next to the administration building, a new TABC kiosk and booth, and enhanced parking and access. The $26.6 million design-build contract was awarded to TGS/SamCorp Joint Venture in September 2006. Congress funded the project in January 2007.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.