San Ysidros's "Ready Lanes" - How to find them!

GETTING TO SAN YSIDRO’S “READY LANES”

 
Come into TJ from the toll road the same way as always, although now you don’t have to turn off to the right to “Periferico y o Librimiento Sur” a mile or so from Playas, drive ½ mile and then do a U-turn to head up the hill along the border.  (Thanks to Baja Bound Insurance Services - www.bajabound.com - for the helpful pictures!)  Now, you simply stay on the highway and there’s a normal, civilized turn off that takes you directly onto the road heading up the hill and to the border, as this photo shows (the sign says San Diego, Rio Zona):

    #1

So you drive along the border fence; watch for the SAN DIEGO/INTERSTATE 5 signs and continue to follow them.  Then there’s a tricky turn-off that we missed the first time around.  Here’s how you can avoid our mistake - After you pass under the bridge in the next photo,

get ready to turn off to the right.  You want to turn right at the Pemex station, where the sign says Paseo de los Heroes, as these cars are doing (#2)

    

After that, it’s really not too hard.  At the end of the block is Calle Segunda, and you can only turn left there (#3).  As soon as you do, get in the middle lane (#4), which is identified by signs saying Colonia Federal and marked on the pavement as Medical Services Lane. 

You’re going to go a ways, curving to the right and up a hill and then past the little kiosk that lets vehicles into the Medical Lane.  Stay to the right of the kiosk, and then get in the left lane (after the kiosk).  You’ll head down a little hill to a stop sign, where in front of you is a big building with MEDAC on it.  You’ll make a U-turn here (#5), along with a lot of the other cars. 

This takes you basically back in the direction you just came, where you’ll soon come to a big speed bump and stop sign.  Stop (duh!), then curve to the right. This is a little tricky, so pay attention here.  Get in the middle lane (#6), which is identified by “San Diego” and an arrow.  

 

Go through the next stop sign (after stopping!), and past a casino on the right.  Through another stop sign, and then up to the stop sign at a roundabout, where you’ll see a big LEY business sign on your right.  Turn right at the roundabout (#7), go a ways, then turn right at the next stop sign (#8). 

Now you’re heading towards the border again, and are not far from it.  As soon as you’re on this road, ease over into the left lane.  Pretty soon there’s a gap in the left hand side of the road, and you merge left through it onto the Via Rapida (#9), as this red car is doing.

 

This takes you up a little hill and to the Ready Lanes, and soon you’re back in the USA!

Here are a couple of maps to help you visualize the route; you can click on them to make them bigger.  The red numbers correspond to the numbers in the text.   

Again, thanks to Baja Bound Insurance Services - BajaBound.com - for the helpful pictures!