Texas Border Business
Cameron County is excited to announce it has entered into an agreement to purchase an ownership interest in the Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge Company, who owns the Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge (B&M Bridge), from Union Pacific Railroad, concluding a complex negotiation process that began approximately two years ago. This transaction is expected to close in late2025 or early 2026, and will bring the historic international bridge crossing, opened in 1910, under the ownership and operation of Cameron County.
“Securing the Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge Company is a transformative moment for Cameron County,” said County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. “We’re preserving a vital piece of binational infrastructure and deepening our partnership with Mexico to support bi-national transportation, commerce, tourism, and cultural exchange, which has a tremendously positive impact on Cameron County and the entire Rio Grande Valley.”
The Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge Company was incorporated on August 25, 1909, jointly by the Mexican government andthe St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway (which was acquired by Missouri Pacific Railroad Company, which merged with and into Union Pacific) and opened for traffic on December 12, 1910. Over its lifetime, the structure has been widened twice—in1953 and again in 1992—and in 1997 a new four-lane concrete toll bridge was added adjacent to the original span.
This acquisition, once completed, will complement Cameron County’s existing portfolio of three
(3) international crossings, all owned and operated by the county’s International Bridge System:
- Gateway International Bridge – opened in 1926
- Free Trade International Bridge at Los Indios – opened in 1992
- Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates – opened in 1999
Following the acquisition, Cameron County will integrate the B&M Bridge into its system, ensuring unified management and toll collection of all border crossings in Cameron County.
County officials plan to invest in targeted upgrades and streamline operations across all bridges, focusing on enhanced toll-collection technologies, improved inspection facilities, and expanded customs processing capabilities.
“The knowledge and expertise we possess from operating our three existing bridges will guide the next chapter for the historic B&M Bridge crossing,” said Cameron County Administrator, Pete Sepulveda, Jr. “Our goal is to streamline the operation of the B&M Bridge just as we have our other bridges. Over the course of the last five years, we have invested in our bridge crossings to make them among the safest and most technologically advanced international bridges from Brownsville to San Diego, California. We are very proud of the bridge system we have in place, and the addition of the B&M Bridge is a welcomed addition to our portfolio of international crossings in Cameron County.”
Gateway International Bridge will begin a major $260 million modernization in the first quarter of 2026. As part of the upgrade,the inspection area will expand to 10 primary lanes and 24 secondary inspection spaces with canopies, an increase from the existing five lanes and 15 spaces. With the much-anticipated modernization set to occur, portions of the bridge will be shut down for construction and renovation, making the efficient operation of the B&M Bridge even more critical to ensure bi-national travel remains easy and efficient.
In April of 2024, a major expansion project at the Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates was completed increasing the capacity for passenger vehicles entering the United States with the addition of four (4) new Customs & Border Protection (CBP) primary inspection lanes. For over 20 years, Cameron County has operated the Veterans International Bridge which connects I-69E to Mexico. This bridge, a critical port of entry for international trade, currently handles most of the commercial truck traffic entering the U.S. in Cameron County, including overweight shipments utilizing the corridor between the Veterans International Bridge and the Port of Brownsville.
Moreover, Cameron County has also secured Presidential Permits for two new crossings to bolster its border infrastructure. On May 31, 2024, President Biden granted a permit authorizing the construction, maintenance, and operation of the four-lane Flor de Mayo International Bridge— located eight river miles upstream of the B&M Bridge. More recently, on August 20, 2025, President Trump issued a Presidential Permit for a dedicated two-lane pedestrian bridge alongside the Gateway International Bridge, enabling a separate, safer walkway for pedestrians traversing downtown Brownsville and Matamoros.
The Cameron County International Bridge System provides safe, efficient crossings for pedestrians, passenger vehicles, andcommercial trucks between the United States and Mexico. In 2024, Gateway International Bridge, Free Trade Bridge and Veterans International Bridge supported more than 5.6 million crossings and over $20 billion in binational trade.
County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr. and the County Commissioners are set to formally consider the stock purchase agreement forUnion Pacific’s ownership interest in the Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge Company, at the next Commissioners’ Courtmeeting scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 7, 2025.
For more information on the Cameron County International Bridge System, visit www.ccibstx.us.
Information source: Office of County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr.
