McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — President Trump has approved building a futuristic international freight corridor bridge connecting Laredo, Texas, to Nuevo León, Mexico.
The elevated and automated bridge is to be located near the Laredo-Colombia Solidarity International Bridge and is part of a fast-track bridge permitting process that Congress has approved for only three South Texas counties on the Southwest border.
Trump on Monday issued a permit that allows Green Corridors LLC to begin construction of the Green Corridors International Bridge facility as another trade artery to connect Nuevo León, Mexico, with Webb County, Texas.
An animated video on the company’s website shows the elevated segment built above current roadways with high-speed autonomous shuttles that operate on a guideway. The company’s website describes it as “transformational freight infrastructure for the world’s busiest ports.”
Cargo is to be processed at inland terminals to be located in Laredo and near the bustling industrial Mexican city of Monterrey, Mexico, about 140 miles southeast.
Sen. John Cornyn wrote in an April 4 letter to Trump, advocating for the project, saying that the new trade corridor “aims to address the challenges posed by increasing trade volumes by reducing traffic congestion and improving safety through the separation of commercial freight from passenger vehicles, particularly at the port of entry.”
He said cargo would be cleared by both government’s agencies before traveling along what he calls a “secure corridor.” Safety features to ensure cargo is properly sealed and not tampered with are to include high-energy X-ray imaging and other monitoring systems, he wrote.
He said it would “create a nonstop transit route for freight shipments.”
“The Green Corridors International Bridge facility will enhance efficiency and security at the Port of Laredo, our nation’s top port of entry for international trade,” Cornyn said after Trump issued the permit.
“This project is a win for trade, safety, and the future of cross-border freight. It will bring good-paying jobs to our communities and boost economic opportunity across the region,” said U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, whose hometown is Laredo.
Trump’s approval comes after the State Department in April approved the expansion of the Laredo-Colombia Solidarity International Bridge from four to 18 lanes in both directions.
Webb is among three counties that last year were given expedited approval process that has, so far, resulted in presidential approval for the building of new international bridges in Laredo, and Brownsville, Texas, as well as the expansion of the Laredo-Colombia Solidarity International Bridge, and World Trade Bridge, in Laredo.
Leaders want these new international bridges built in South Texas:
- The Flor de Mayo International Bridge in Brownsville connecting to Reynosa, Mexico.
- The 4/5 Bridge in Rio Bravo, southeast of Laredo, connecting to Tamaulipas, Mexico.
- The Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge in Eagle Pass, connecting to Piedras Negras, Mexico.
Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez2BorderReport.com.
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