California inspection station on I-15 moved to the border

[MarkF]

I drove to Las Vegas and back over the holiday, the California agricultural inspection station on I-15 has finally moved operations to the new station just south of Primm, NV.  Last time I went through there, only the truck portion was in operation, and the one in Yermo was still operating.

Looks like this isn't something trivial if they ever want to bypass the inspection station, here's the diversion from the old alignment:


The new inspection station has six lanes for autos, trucks have their own inspection area:


The old station in Yermo has been demolished:


I drove back to Southern California on Thursday afternoon and was surprised I still had a lot of traffic.  Jams were at the usual spots:

-Coming into Primm, due to the loss of the third lane at the CA border.  Wish they would extend that lane at least to the inspection station.
-North of Barstow, between the old CA 58 exit and a mile or so north of the I-40 junction.  One of the truck climb lanes ends in that area, but that wasn't a problem in the three other places where that happens (Mountain Pass, bottom of Baker grade, and north of Afton Rd).  And how about this for a misleading sign, wonder if many think this is where to exit for 58?
https://goo.gl/maps/HpZjrZSsEPw
-Huge jam through the Cajon Pass, starting a couple of miles south of the US 395 junction, to a couple of miles north of the I-215 junction. I would have thought that the work completed in that area a couple of years ago would have made things a lot better through here.

[Max Rockatansky]

So much for my Yermo Road bypass of the agricultural station.  I guess that I'll have to stick to CA 190, CA 127 and Stateline Road...oh wait I do anyways since I-15 sucks. 

That Old 58 BGS is a hoot, it's a well know odd sign from the Barstow Area.  Before the Hinkley Bypass was completed it would indeed eventually take you to 58 West, now I'm not so sure. 

[Plutonic Panda]

What is the point of the inspection station for autos? I've driven that stretch probably over a hundred times and not once have they ever stopped me or anyone else, they just wave everyone through.

A third lane would be really nice to have a constant 6 lane freeway between Bartsow and Primm. I really don't usually experience traffic jams, but traffic would flow smoother if it was at least 6 lanes all the way and made 8 lanes for truck climbing lanes.

[Max Rockatansky]

What is the point of the inspection station for autos? I've driven that stretch probably over a hundred times and not once have they ever stopped me or anyone else, they just wave everyone through.

A third lane would be really nice to have a constant 6 lane freeway between Bartsow and Primm. I really don't usually experience traffic jams, but traffic would flow smoother if it was at least 6 lanes all the way and made 8 lanes for truck climbing lanes.

Hell they used to stop me every time.  It was around 2012 they started to get more lax with passenger vehicles.  The I-15 station near Yermo was usually backed up a couple miles heading southbound.  I wish things were like Florida where agriculture inspections were limited to commercial vehicles out of the traffic lanes. 

Probably the most vicious of all the stations was on CA 62 at Vidal Junction.  I was part of an 89 Car cruise that took US 95 to Needles.  They made a point to stop every single one of us to ask for produce. 

[Plutonic Panda]

What is the point of the inspection station for autos? I've driven that stretch probably over a hundred times and not once have they ever stopped me or anyone else, they just wave everyone through.

A third lane would be really nice to have a constant 6 lane freeway between Bartsow and Primm. I really don't usually experience traffic jams, but traffic would flow smoother if it was at least 6 lanes all the way and made 8 lanes for truck climbing lanes.

Hell they used to stop me every time.  It was around 2012 they started to get more lax with passenger vehicles.  The I-15 station near Yermo was usually backed up a couple miles heading southbound.  I wish things were like Florida where agriculture inspections were limited to commercial vehicles out of the traffic lanes. 

Probably the most vicious of all the stations was on CA 62 at Vidal Junction.  I was part of an 89 Car cruise that took US 95 to Needles.  They made a point to stop every single one of us to ask for produce.

Hmmmm. My travels on the freeway first began in 2015. I have not ever been stopped.

[Max Rockatansky]

What is the point of the inspection station for autos? I've driven that stretch probably over a hundred times and not once have they ever stopped me or anyone else, they just wave everyone through.

A third lane would be really nice to have a constant 6 lane freeway between Bartsow and Primm. I really don't usually experience traffic jams, but traffic would flow smoother if it was at least 6 lanes all the way and made 8 lanes for truck climbing lanes.

Hell they used to stop me every time.  It was around 2012 they started to get more lax with passenger vehicles.  The I-15 station near Yermo was usually backed up a couple miles heading southbound.  I wish things were like Florida where agriculture inspections were limited to commercial vehicles out of the traffic lanes. 

Probably the most vicious of all the stations was on CA 62 at Vidal Junction.  I was part of an 89 Car cruise that took US 95 to Needles.  They made a point to stop every single one of us to ask for produce.

Hmmmm. My travels on the freeway first began in 2015. I have not ever been stopped.

I think something changed with their policies.  Since 2016 I've crossed the State Line on I-10, I-15, and I-40 each once but got the wave through.  On CA 62 I was stopped both times for whatever reason.  The station on US 199 was closed the last time I passed it.  Beyond that most of entires into California lately have been on desert roadways with no checkpoints. 

[myosh_tino]

I think something changed with their policies.  Since 2016 I've crossed the State Line on I-10, I-15, and I-40 each once but got the wave through.  On CA 62 I was stopped both times for whatever reason.  The station on US 199 was closed the last time I passed it.  Beyond that most of entires into California lately have been on desert roadways with no checkpoints.

In the 25+ years I've been driving, I've never been stopped at an Agricultural Inspection station.  I've been making annual trips to Reno and Las Vegas on I-80 and I-15 respectively since 2005 and have yet to be stopped.

[Max Rockatansky]

I think something changed with their policies.  Since 2016 I've crossed the State Line on I-10, I-15, and I-40 each once but got the wave through.  On CA 62 I was stopped both times for whatever reason.  The station on US 199 was closed the last time I passed it.  Beyond that most of entires into California lately have been on desert roadways with no checkpoints.

In the 25+ years I've been driving, I've never been stopped at an Agricultural Inspection station.  I've been making annual trips to Reno and Las Vegas on I-80 and I-15 respectively since 2005 and have yet to be stopped.

Was it always with a California tag?  The overwhelming majority of times I've been stopped where when I was working out of Arizona and was carrying out of state tags.  Between 2010 and 2013 I usually had about 40-50 over night stays in Southern California either coming Phoenix or Las Vegas. 

[MarkF]

The last time I was stopped was in the 90s, I think.  They asked where I was coming from, seemed like they weren't worried about ones coming from Arizona or Nevada.  I do recall coming in to Arizona during the California fruit fly epidemic of the late 70s and I had to open my trunk at the Arizona inspection station on I-10 in Ehrenberg, AZ.

[myosh_tino]

Was it always with a California tag?

Yes it was with California plates.

The overwhelming majority of times I've been stopped where when I was working out of Arizona and was carrying out of state tags.  Between 2010 and 2013 I usually had about 40-50 over night stays in Southern California either coming Phoenix or Las Vegas.

That makes sense for the Ag inspectors to target out-of-state vehicles over ones with California plates.  I guess they assume we (California residents) should know better than to try to bring in stuff that might be carrying some harmful "pests".

[djsekani]

I think something changed with their policies.  Since 2016 I've crossed the State Line on I-10, I-15, and I-40 each once but got the wave through.  On CA 62 I was stopped both times for whatever reason.  The station on US 199 was closed the last time I passed it.  Beyond that most of entires into California lately have been on desert roadways with no checkpoints.

In the 25+ years I've been driving, I've never been stopped at an Agricultural Inspection station.  I've been making annual trips to Reno and Las Vegas on I-80 and I-15 respectively since 2005 and have yet to be stopped.

Lucky you. I've never been waved through, got stopped (but not searched) most recently in 2015 at Yermo. Was driving a Chrysler with CA plates at the time.

[395fun2drive]

I drove through there this morning. It is so much better near Primm and not that slowdown near Yermo a couple of hours into the long ride home. Caltrans should take the signs down on I-15 near Yermo warning of the ag station 2 miles ahead.

[MarkF]

Here's a video of my trip home from Vegas last Thursday (12/27/18):
https://youtu.be/5g_G3fClcbw

[AMLNet49]

I've always thought those stations made California a little bit like a country, trying to quarantine the Valley and protect its huge GDP by inspecting for harmful bugs way out in California's harsh border regions. California's a little bit like a coconut

[dvferyance]

I've always thought those stations made California a little bit like a country, trying to quarantine the Valley and protect its huge GDP by inspecting for harmful bugs way out in California's harsh border regions. California's a little bit like a coconut

Well they want to become their own country so if they do they already have a border inspections in place.

[theroadwayone]

I went through the inspection point in Yermo in 2016 when I was with some friends and we were coming home from Zion. I told my driver, "The fruit Gestapo...only in California."

[brad2971]

I went through the inspection point in Yermo in 2016 when I was with some friends and we were coming home from Zion. I told my driver, "The fruit Gestapo...only in California."

You are aware that Florida has a similar set up, right? To be fair, the ag inspections in FL are mainly limited to the commercial vehicle classes, but it's still a "fruit Gestapo."

[Max Rockatansky]

I went through the inspection point in Yermo in 2016 when I was with some friends and we were coming home from Zion. I told my driver, "The fruit Gestapo...only in California."

You are aware that Florida has a similar set up, right? To be fair, the ag inspections in FL are mainly limited to the commercial vehicle classes, but it's still a "fruit Gestapo."

Yes but they are at least to the side of the road instead of in the middle of the travel lanes. 

[kphoger]

Ag inspection at state lines is pretty common in Mexico, for what it's worth.

[sparker]

Always had good luck with the Yermo station; the only time I was stopped was coming back from the Consumer Electronic Show in LV back in '99.  Had a rented van chock full of electronics and speakers, and the inspector had me open the back so he could take a quick look.  I showed him my CES exhibitor tag and he immediately told me to go on through after seeing nothing but piles of boxes. 

The only time an inspection station got a little pissy with me was late at night at Dorris on US 97 back about the summer of 1994 on my way down to CA when I was living in PDX -- but to be fair, I did have Oregon plates at the time and was driving a truck with camper shell with numerous boxes in the back.  Inspector had me open a couple of them and was pretty rude about it (must have gotten stuck with the overnight shift!) -- and was not at all happy to find mostly books and papers.  Luckily he didn't bother with the cooler on the cab floor -- it was full of black raspberries from a farmers' market in Woodburn (you generally can't find those things around L.A.). 

[Occidental Tourist]

Here's a video of my trip home from Vegas last Thursday (12/27/18):
https://youtu.be/5g_G3fClcbw

Wow, so now Thursday afternoon traffic from Vegas sucks, too?

[Max Rockatansky]

Here's a video of my trip home from Vegas last Thursday (12/27/18):
https://youtu.be/5g_G3fClcbw

Wow, so now Thursday afternoon traffic from Vegas sucks, too?

Is there any time now I-15 where it doesn't now?

[Rothman]

I have been stopped on the majority of my trips into California.  I think there was only one where I wasn't and it was a very rural crossing from Nevada when I was headed to Mammoth Lakes.

Never really saw the point for stopping me just to ask me about produce.  Seems like an expensive operation that would not be very effective for actually obtaining the goal of protecting local crops.

[Max Rockatansky]

Does anyone know if there is some sort of probhibition that only allows the state to put up stations only state maintained roadways?  There are several county or local roadways into California which don't have agricultural inspection stations or one by proxy on an adjoining highway.  The crossing over the Colorado River into Needles on N Street comes to mind off the top of my head. 

[sparker]

Does anyone know if there is some sort of probhibition that only allows the state to put up stations only state maintained roadways?  There are several county or local roadways into California which don't have agricultural inspection stations or one by proxy on an adjoining highway.  The crossing over the Colorado River into Needles on N Street comes to mind off the top of my head. 

It's probably a budgetary issue more than a legislated or administrative edict that has limited inspection stations to state highways; constructing and manning them, while certainly with considerable Caltrans input, is the parvenu of the state ag department, which conceivably could locate them on local roads as well.  The Yermo station was located to not only address inbound I-15 traffic but also that of CA 127, Nipton Road/NV 164, and anything else "funneling" onto the freeway.  Now that the I-15 station has been moved to near the state line, I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of inspection station -- even a "roadblock" setup manned during daylight hours only (similar to smaller stations statewide like those on CA 88) -- likely some "minimalist" approach on CA 127 or other less-trafficked area highways.  But the previous configurations like Yermo seemed more aimed at stopping "tainted" fruit and veggies from reaching the main areas of agricultural production rather than simply functioning as a border-bound entry facility -- fruit flies et. al weren't considered a danger to much of the Mojave Desert!