Beginning Wednesday, a pedestrian skybridge will connect Tijuana International Airport and a new terminal on the U.S. side of the border.
The terminal will house a customs station, sparing travelers the effort of having to drive through one of two San Diego/Tijuana border stations, where waits are often longer than an hour.
Cross Border Express (CBX), as the 390-foot long enclosed skybridge is called, will cost $18 each way and will be available only to Tijuana passengers ticketed to fly within 24 hours and to passengers who have arrived in Tijuana within two hours.
The bridge was built by private developer Otay-Tijuana Ventures in cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. It will serve the more than 2 million annual Tijuana passengers who cross the border as part of their travels, a CBX press release said.
“CBX will transform the border crossing experience for millions of travelers,” said Carlos Laviada, an investor in the project. “We started the planning and approvals for CBX over eight years ago, and it has garnered incredible support on both sides of the border. Intercountry travel for leisure and business is a critical economic driver for this entire region.”
The San Diego terminal will offer short- and long-term parking, rental car access and access to buses, shuttles, taxis and Uber. Other services onsite include restaurants and duty-free shopping.
Tijuana International Airport serves 34 Mexican destinations as well as Shanghai. Aeromexico will soon begin packaging flights with CBX tickets on its website.