$21 million in federal stimulus funds will go toward remodeling the Otay Mesa border crossing. Officials say this will pay for land and design costs.
Officials say the goal is to cut border wait times during rush hour at Otay to 30 minutes for passenger vehicles and an hour for commercial ones.
The remodel would add nine passenger and four commercial lanes.
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders says the expansion is good for the region.
"This is great news for companies that do business on both sides of the border, and good news for our state and regional economy which loses billions of dollars every year from constraints at the border."
Federal officials say they can't add more than four commercials lanes at Otay because there's no room on the Mexican side.
A new border crossing planned just east of Otay will add commercial lanes.
Otay is the second busiest commercial port on the US Mexico border. A crossing in Texas is busier.
San Diego Association of Government officials say more people cross at Otay annually than use San Diego's Lindbergh Field.
