Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
Finally, after years and the dedicated work of many municipal, state, and federal leaders, the agreement to accept a Full Cargo Donation Acceptance for the Anzalduas bridge is a reality.
As Juan Olaguibel, the Superintendent of Bridges, said, “December 1, 2021, is a historic date that will be remembered for years to come.” He continued, “The achievement of securing an agreement to move forward with the Anzaldua’s gateway to future growth is another milestone in preparation to expand operations at the Anzalduas International Bridge to include full cargo commercial traffic.”
McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos recognized the valuable participation of McAllen, Mission, Hidalgo, Granjeno, and the Rio Grande Valley delegation at the state level for their tireless work and support.
Olaguibel told Texas Border Business that the expansion project is paramount to increase border trade exponentially with Mexico while propelling economic growth for the Texas region.
Olaguibel added that even though the gathering was a symbolic ceremonial signing, every one of the approximately 26 participants remained committed to supporting border trade with Mexico.
Texas Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa was also very instrumental in the completion of this agreement. He said that the State of Texas invested $22 million in this project.
“This is a perfect day for our economy, for the creation of jobs for the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and Mexico.” Senator Hinojosa said that over 20 years ago, the trade with Mexico was around $54 billion, and 20 years later, it’s close to $300 billion. “If you look at the Pharr bridge, it does hold $35 billion a year in trade with Mexico, and now with Anzalduas Bridge coming on board, that trade would only increase.”
He also said that this is an excellent example of working together as a team. “A partnership with the federal government, the state, the local government entities, the private sector, and Mexico, making sure that we provide the resources that we need to expand and invest in the infrastructure.”
Texas Rep. Terry Canales – House Transportation Committee Chairman was blunt in his comments. He brought attention by describing the ports of entry with Mexico to be billion-dollar economic engines.
He said, “There have been people like Judge Cortez, and many others that have worked for decades, but that underscores the problem.” He continued, “It underscores that we’ve got to fight tooth and nail for every dollar we bring down here.” He said that leaders must fight twice as hard as the rest of the state of Texas when this is an economic engine.
Texas Rep. Sergio Muñoz said that we have all got friends in Laredo, but at the end of the day, we got to work to bring up more of that traffic and more of that commerce here to the Rio Grande valley. “Thank you very much to all those that worked over the years to make it happen.”
Texas Rep. Bobby Guerra also present said, “I can put it in simple terms. This is about opening doors. That’s what this is all about.”
Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez started his comments with a question, “How significant is today’s event? To underscore it, he said that Hidalgo County is the seventh-largest county in the state of Texas, and we have 254 counties.” He continued, “We’re home to 22 cities and an extensive rural area, and that means that we want our families who chose to live here to have opportunities.”
He added that the County is the home to five international bridges and that we ought to take advantage of it,”
Pedro “Pete” Alvarez, P.E., District Engineer, said, “A few words that come to mind: transportation, infrastructure, regionalization, working in partnership, all these things are what’s needed here in the RGV. This is a great example of how things can come together.”
McAllen City Manager Roel “Roy” Rodriguez P.E. said, “This is not competing against others in the Rio Grande Valley. I’m going to be bold enough to give a shout out to the city of Pharr.” He continued, “The city of Pharr has done a tremendous job with their bridge, and they continue to do it. And as you’ve heard, they’re looking to expand their bridge. We are all for it. We are 100% behind the expansion of international bridges.”
U.S. Senator John Cornyn was also invited to take part in this ceremony. Sen. Cornyn could not attend and sent a short message, “These facilities ensure the Rio Grande Valley and the state of Texas secure their role as the premier international trade hub for the United States, which continues to be a top priority.” He continued, “It will allow full cargo commercial traffic to cross into the United States from Mexico, increasing trade between the two countries,” Sen. Cornyn finalized.
