Ribbon-cutting ceremony held for Veterans International Bridge expansion project

Rio Grande Guardian's Podcast

BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS - Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño says the $18 million primary lane expansion project at Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates is of regional, national, and international significance.

Of the $18 million, $10.6 million came through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Treviño oversaw a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the project on April 3. Among the other speakers at the event were U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, Jared Bradley, the U.S. General Services Administration’s deputy regional commissioner, and Michael Reyes, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s acting port director for Brownsville.

“The Veterans International Bridge is a partnership between Cameron County and the City of Brownsville,” Treviño said.

“As the starting point of I-69 East, the Veterans international Bridget at Los Tomates has facilitated the movement of passenger and commercial vehicles between Brownsville and Matamoros for over 30 years.

"With the completion of the project we will now increase the capacity for passenger vehicles entering the United States at the Veterans International Bridge with the addition of four Customs and Border Protection primary inspection lanes.

"The new Headhouse and enhanced security features will now allow CBP to operate the Port of Entry with more efficiency.

“These additional lanes have now completed a gap that was included in the original General Services Administration’s master plan for the Los Tomates Border Station and a total project cost of $18 million.

“Funding for the project was made possible through the Rio Grande Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization’s allocation of Category 7 federal funds and local contributions.

“The Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates project is a demonstration of the innovative partnership between Cameron County, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. General Services Administration, the Texas Department of Transportation, and Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority, coming together to complete a project of regional, national and international significance.”

Here is an audio recording of the remarks of Treviño, Cornyn, Gonzalez, Bradley, and Reyes at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

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