Groundbreaking ceremony held for Pharr Bridge’s eagerly anticipated second span

PHARR, Texas – As they commemorate the 30^th anniversary of the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, the City of Pharr and the Pharr Bridge Board held a groundbreaking ceremony for the long-awaited second span that will run parallel to the existing structure.

In grand style, elected officials and government agents from both sides of the border came together to celebrate the momentous occasion. Distinguished guests included Texas state Reps. Terry Canales and Sergio Muñoz; Texas state Sens. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and Morgan LaMantia; and Pedro “Pete” Alvarez, Pharr district engineer for the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT). At the federal level, guests included Chris Anzaldúa, U.S. General Service Administration (GSA) border project manager, and Carlos Rodriguez, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) port director for the Hidalgo, Pharr and Anzalduas ports of entry.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for Pharr Bridge’s eagerly anticipated second span. (Photo: Patricia Martinez/RGG)

Dignitaries from Mexico included Reynosa Mayor Carlos Victor Peña Ortiz, Mexican Consulate to McAllen Froylán Yescas Cedillo; and Brigadier Gen. Erasto Bernardo Pulido Ruiz of the National Customs Agency of Mexico (Agencia Nacional de Aduanas de Mexico) for the Reynosa port of entry. Each of the guests were given time to read some prepared remarks and video messages from Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz were also played.

“Today, all of our hard work together is paying off, thanks to all of you, as we finally break ground on this pivotal project, which will help ensure future trade opportunities benefit Texas and put American jobs first,” said Cruz in his pre-recorded message. “I want to extend my sincere congratulations to everyone who played a part in securing this victory for the Lone Star State. South Texas only stands to grow tremendously from this investment. I am proud to have worked alongside each of you to get this done.”

Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez thanked everyone on both sides of the border for their support and involvement in helping to get to this milestone. He also made a point to recognize city officials and their behind-the-scenes work.

“All these things, at the end of the day, points to the fact that the city commission – I’m very proud of our commissioners – have always, always supported our employees,” said Hernandez. “Because the heart and soul of the City of Pharr is its employees. They make everything happen. They are the No. 1 asset the City of Pharr has. It’s not the commission; it’s the employees. They’re wonderful, and this endeavor that’s being brought to us today is because of them.”

One of those employees receiving special acknowledgment was Pharr International Bridge Director Luis Bazan. In his address, Bazan thanked his team and everyone who worked to make the day possible. He also gave on update on all the projects currently underway or wrapping up at the bridge.

The groundbreaking for the bridge expansion or “second span” has been years in the making. After Bazan’s “worst-case scenario” timeline did play out, the $44 million project finally began construction on Aug. 5. The various delays, the most noteworthy being the completion of an environmental impact study per the National Environmental Policy Act, saw the U.S. barely starting their side of the expansion as Mexico nears the completion of theirs – projected for September of this year. Bazan says construction is expected to take up to 18 months but estimates the project will be completed by the end of 2025.

Speaking for the Mexican side, Peña Ortiz thanked everyone for their hard work and playfully poked fun of how long it has taken the U.S. side to get building.

“We’ll be able to create jobs on the Mexican side, better standards of living and also better income for a lot of families,” said Peña Ortiz. “So, we really appreciate that in the City of Reynosa, and I hope you guys can visit us soon on the other side of the border. Thank you very much for everything that you’ve been doing and [I’m] happy that you guys are finally catching up!”

The second span will have four lanes – two for northbound and two for southbound traffic. Once it is fully operational, the current bridge will used solely for northbound traffic, bringing the total of northbound lanes from Mexico to six. Lanes will be further divided by traffic type including Free and Secure Trade (FAST) certified commercial vehicles and pre-certified empty trucks as well as Ready Lane and Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) drivers.

Along with the expansion, the ceremony was also dedicated to the upcoming Donors Acceptance Program (DAP) 16 Project, which is slated to begin construction by late September or early October. DAP projects bring private sector and government entities together to allow the acceptance of property, services or funding by CBP and the GSA for infrastructure or technology improvements. The DAP 16 Project – between the City of Pharr, CBP and the GSA – will add an additional 77,000 square feet of space to the Kika De La Garza land port of entry connected to the bridge, expanding the existing dry dock and cold inspection facility and establishing an agricultural laboratory and training center.

Lastly, Bazan gave an update for the bridge’s DAP 15 Project, which is now complete. The City of Pharr held a ribbon-cutting ceremony last month to mark the conclusion of the project, which added two commercial entry and exit lane booths to the port. However, Bazan says the lanes will not be operational until December as they wait for TXDOT and the Texas Department of Public Safety to fill the facilities.

Despite different setbacks, Bazan says each project at the bridge is vitally important and will eventually play big dividends for trade in the region.

“The bridge is only the crossing point,” said Bazan. “It’s basically what gets you across from Mexico to the United States or vice versa. What’s inside the port, like our DAP 15 project – the new import lanes and the new exit lanes – those are going to get more efficiency. But, with the agriculture lab, the cold inspection facility and the dry dock that we’re building inside the import lot – that, again, is something that’s needed in order to make sure that this traffic gets off the bridge. We’re not building bridges to become parking lots; we’re building bridges to have efficiency.”

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