BROWNSVILLE, Texas (Border Report) — Israel Gomez, 20, operates a fireworks stand in this South Texas border city, and he says sometimes he and family members spend hours trying to cross to and from Matamoros, Mexico.
“Sometimes it’s up to a two-hour wait. It’s insane,” Gomez told Border Report on Wednesday. “I have family that crosses and it’s a long wait sometimes. Even the pedestrians walking, and in cars. It’s unreal.”
So when he heard that Cameron County has received presidential approval to build a new bridge north of the city — the fourth bridge that would connect the Rio Grande Valley to Matamoros — he said it was needed.
“Let’s get the bridge done fast,” Gomez said.
And it is going quickly. That’s because this bridge, along with several other international crossing projects in three South Texas counties, have been accelerated due to a special fast-track permitting process approved last year by Congress.
The South Texas border counties where these expedited presidential permits are being issued are: Webb, Maverick and Cameron, which includes Brownsville.
So far, that has resulted in permits issued in South Texas for two new international bridges, the expansion of three existing bridges, and the creation of a futuristic freight corridor.
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr., told Border Report on Thursday that the new four-lane Flor de Mayo International Bridge is on track to receive environmental approval within 18 months and then bridge design can begin.
Former President Joe Biden in June 2024 issued a presidential permit for the new bridge, contingent upon it meeting regulations in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
“That was kind of the thrust, if you will, or the rationale behind trying to get the Presidential permit and allow the NEPA process at the same time. That way we’re not delaying. We’re trying to do two things at once,” Treviño said.
He says they have met with all the federal agencies — including the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, General Services Administration and the U.S. Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission about construction of the bridge.
“All have gone well. The consultants also are performing a feasibility study in Mexico,” Treviño said.
He said Mexico also needs to sign off on the project before ground can be broken.
“So we’re basically working on both sides of the of the border to try to make sure that we get the ample approval and clearances in order to keep moving forward,” he said.
Construction needs to begin on the proposed $25 million international bridge by May 31, 2029, or the county risks losing its presidential permit.
But Treviño says this expedited process has allowed them to get ahead on a project they have wanted to build since 2021. Without the fast-track exemption, they would have to wait for all the environmental studies to be finished before they could apply for the permit and that delays the process.
“We can move forward while we’re while we’re while we’ve got the presidential permit. We don’t have to necessarily delay the receiving the presidential permit until the NEPA process is complete,” he said.
Brownsville resident Frank Taboada says another crossing is necessary. He has a lawncare business and says the bridges back up.
“The lines will be a lot speedier for people coming across from Mexico. So I guess it’s a good investment,” Taboada said. “I’m sure there will be a lot of happy campers.”
On June 20, President Donald Trump issued a presidential permit for a bridge in Eagle Pass in Maverick County, Texas, connecting to Piedras Negras, Mexico.
This came after he authorized on June 13 the expansion of a bridge connecting Laredo with Nuevo León, Mexico.
Trump authorized adding a six-lane span next to the existing Camino Real International Bridge, also known as Bridge II.
Bridge projects in these 3 counties that have received presidential approval include:
- The new 4/5 Bridge in Rio Bravo, southeast of Laredo, connecting to Tamaulipas, Mexico.
- Adding 10 lanes to the World Trade Bridge in Laredo — the No. 1 commercial crossing on the Southwest border.
- Expanding the Laredo-Colombia Solidarity International Bridge connecting to Nuevo León, Mexico, by adding two new four-lane spans.
Treviño says despite threatened tariffs against Mexico, it’s now more important than ever to foster trade between the United States and its southern neighbor,.
“It’s imperative that we continue to sound the importance of cross-border trade. Trading with our partner in Mexico, through the state of Texas, through all of our ports of entry, from Brownsville all the way to El Paso, is critical, not just to our local economy, but that to the state of Texas and to our country at large,” Treviño said. “We need to focus on the benefits and the need and the necessity of enhancing and promoting that cross-border trade, millions of jobs, billions of dollars.”
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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