San Luis East Port of Entry - Now The Greater Yuma Port Authority (GYPA)

The GYPA is an organization made up of Yuma County, the City of Somerton, the City of San Luis, and the Cocopah Indian Tribe and is responsible for establishing the San Luis East Commercial border crossing. The new border crossing will be a new "commercial vehicles only" crossing, approximately five miles east of the existing port of entry.

According to US Government data, in 1999 Arizona ranked 3rd among US states in exports to Mexico. Exports and imports will continue to grow and we need to be ready to handle them. San Luis ranks 10th among all southwestern ports of entry in combined imports and exports.

Need based on the Existing Port of Entry.
The existing commercial port of entry does not meet current and projected agency needs for enforcement and inspection. It does not meet the requirements for commercial inspections agreed to by GSA and the Inspection Agencies. Truck dock space is inadequate, the lot is small and congested, there are no facilities for unloading bulk cargo, and there are no facilities for handling hazardous materials. A new port of entry will be large enough for proper circulation. It will allow for the most effective use of state of the art detection technology. It will speed traffic. It will take hazardous materials out of downtown San Luis and San Luis Rio Colorado and it will permit Customs, Agriculture and Immigration to do their jobs more effectively.

Need based on Maquilador.
Maquiladora activity will continue to expand in the Yuma - San Luis Rio Colorado area. As of mid-year 2000, there were 32 maquiladoras in San Luis Rio Colorado. Employment by the end of the year is projected to exceed 12,000. This figure underlines the continuing growth of maquiladoras in San Luis Rio Colorado and their impact on the commercial port of entry at San Luis.

Need based on the Growing Traffic.
In addition to the need for a commercial station, the millions of cars and pedestrians coming through the port annually require the alteration and renovation of the existing station to handle this traffic. Among all southwestern border ports of entry, San Luis ranks 10th in northbound automobile crossings and 7th in northbound pedestrian crossings. This car and pedestrian traffic, most of which is locally generated, will continue to grow. This growth is fueled by the expanding populations of both San Luis and San Luis Rio Colorado. The traffic will also be increased due to major improvements to US 95. This automobile corridor,which runs north from the border to I-8 and eventually I-10 is being widened and repaved. The result will be to encourage more cross border traffic at San Luis.

Need based on the Growing Population.
The need for a new crossing and the movement of commercial traffic to less developed areas in the east is also justified by the growth of San Luis around the station. There has been an expansion of retail and service enterprises near the station, and an expansion of residential housing along the current truck route. Commercial traffic has become a problem and a hazard. As San Luis' population continues to grow and housing construction continues moving east along the existing primary alternate truck route, the problems caused by commercial traffic will increase even more.

Progress on Essential Elements

Port Authority
The Charter Members of the Port Authority have now approved the Articles of Incorporation, the Bylaws and the Intergovernmental Agreement. They have hired a Port Administrator and GYPA attorneys have registered the new corporation with the State of Arizona. A non-profit corporation, the Port Authority is authorized to engage in a broad range of activities, including, "...constructing, operating and maintaining an international port of entry along the Arizona-Mexico border..." Learn more about the GYPA members.

Land Acquisition
On June 26, 2000, the House of Representatives passed HR 3023, a bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to convey property to the Greater Yuma Port Authority for use as an international port of entry. The companion bill in the Senate, S 2834 is in committee and should be voted by the end of the session.

Environmental Assessment
This process is now complete. The Yuma Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation issued a Finding of No Significant Impact on July 31, 2000.

Connectivity
The State of Arizona and local governments in Yuma County are committed to construction of the the Area Service Highway, a high-speed truck route that will link San Luis to Interstate 8 east of the City of Yuma. The Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization has undertaken the federal environmental process which is complete in draft form. The Arizona State Department of Transportation will conduct survey mapping, geotechnical work and general planning in Fiscal Years 2001 and 2002. Construction is expected to begin in 2003 -- 2004.

Financial Plan
On August 7, 2000, the Port Authority issued a Request for Proposals to provide a "turnkey" port facility on part of the land to be obtained from the Bureau of Reclamation in exchange for the rights to develop and operate industrial and commercial enterprises on the rest of the land.