Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
The inaugural RGV Connect Forum Transportation and Trade Session brought together regional leaders to discuss infrastructure, trade, and economic development in the Rio Grande Valley. The event was hosted by the Mission Economic Development Corporation and organized by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership.
After opening remarks from Teclo Garcia of Mission Economic Development Corporation and Paco Sanchez of the RGV Partnership, a panel moderated by Ron Garza of UT-RGV examined the current state and future needs of the region’s infrastructure. The session focused on advancing the Rio Grande Valley through improved transportation and trade connectivity.
The panel featured Pete Sepulveda Jr., Cameron County Administrator and Executive Director of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority; Walker Smith, Port Director and CEO of the Port of Harlingen Authority; Jesus Reyna, Interim City Manager for the City of Donna; and Maricela Gonzales, Bridge Operations Manager for the City of Donna.
Sepulveda described Cameron County’s $2 billion infrastructure system designed to support the growing energy, space, and national security sectors, including the modernization of the Gateway Bridge and the acquisition of the B&M Bridge. He said the Rio Grande Valley has been economically deprived for decades because it is the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a complete interstate corridor. “We are the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a complete interstate corridor,” Sepulveda said, calling for regional action to complete projects such as the I-69 connector. He added that the region must plan infrastructure not only for current demand but for anticipated growth in aerospace and energy.
Smith said the Port of Harlingen supplies approximately 70 percent of the Rio Grande Valley’s fuel and identified limited rail infrastructure as a major weakness. “About 70 percent of the fuel that comes into the Rio Grande Valley moves through our port,” Smith said, noting that rail upgrades are necessary to strengthen logistics capacity. He also stressed the importance of linking the region’s three separate overweight corridors. “We need to connect those overweight corridors into one efficient system so heavy cargo can move seamlessly between the ports and Mexico,” he said.
Reyna and Gonzales detailed an $80 million project to expand the Donna-Rio Bravo Bridge for full commercial traffic. “Our bridge expansion project is shovel-ready,” Reyna said. Gonzales said the International Bridge Trade Corridor remains stalled due to lack of funding. “Without the IBTC, the full potential of the bridge cannot be realized,” she said.
Connectivity was a central theme throughout the discussion. Panelists cited the need for interstate highways, the linking of overweight corridors, expanded rail infrastructure, and the completion of local trade corridors. They emphasized that the four counties of the Rio Grande Valley must work together to advocate for state and federal support.
Funding and advocacy were recurring topics. Sepulveda said the region should pursue legislative tools that allow local and regional entities to create sustainable funding streams. “We need legislative tools that empower us to fund these projects, not just one-time appropriations,” he said. Panelists also referenced the upcoming review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and the trend of nearshoring as factors expected to increase trade with Mexico, reinforcing the need for infrastructure improvements.
The event concluded with a presentation by Teclo Garcia unveiling the Mission International Innovation District, a 7,000-acre development zone in South Mission.
According to Paco Sanchez, president of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, the session marked the launch of a new regional initiative. “RGV Connect is designed to foster community conversations that will shape our advocacy agenda in Austin and Washington, D.C.,” Sanchez said.
