McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — Construction of new SENTRI rapid transit lanes for those coming from Mexico has been completed at the Del Rio International Bridge in South Texas, federal officials said Thursday.
The small-scale infrastructure improvement project took seven months to complete and was a public-private joint venture between U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the General Services Administration and the City of Del Rio, CBP says.
The Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) lanes project was green-lighted through the Donation Acceptance Program, which allows federal officials to accept land donations from private and governmental entities for improvements to U.S. ports of entry.
“The addition of the brand new SENTRI lane will not only have a positive impact on our Trusted Traveler Program card holders, but all travelers, to include our commercial traffic, with expedited processing times when entering the United States,” Del Rio Port Director Liliana Flores said in a statement.
A two-lane road of 1,700 lineal feet was built for SENTRI travelers to more quickly cross the border from Ciudad Acuña, Mexico.
General Services Regional Administrator Jason Shelton called it an “important project to improve traffic flow and trade at the Del Rio Land Port of Entry.”
Earlier this week CBP and the GSA announced another Donation Acceptance Program expansion project to begin to improve cargo inspections at the port in Los Indios, Texas.
Vehicular traffic to and from South Texas has rapidly expanded since the pandemic and there also is a push for the White House to approve the construction of new international bridges in Brownsville, Laredo and Eagle Pass.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.
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