OTAY MESA – To meet the increased demand during the holidays, the Ready Lane program has expanded its hours of operation.

Starting last Wednesday, the lane will be open Monday through Friday from 4 a.m. to midnight and Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to midnight.

Previously, the lane closed at 8 p.m. on weekdays and a10 p.m. on the weekends.

Vehicles entering the United States through the Otay Mesa border crossing may reach the Ready Lane area from the far left side. The number of lanes available to be used in that program varies one to five.

A Ready Lane can only be used by drivers who have crossing documents enabled with radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, such as the U.S. Passport Card, laser visas issued after 2008, the newest version of the Legal Permanent Resident card (known as the "green card", and the SENTRI card

An electronic device "reads" these documents before the vehicle gets to the inspection booth, making for quicker processing, noticeably reducing travelers' wait time.

The program has become popular and now an estimated 25 per cent of the traffic that crosses through the Otay Mesa port of entry uses the Ready Lane.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it plans to expand the Ready Lane program to the San Ysidro border crossing by the end of the year.

Alexandra.mendoza@sandiegored.com