BROWNSVILLE — With the help of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Cameron County eventually will be able to create four new bridge lanes at Veterans International Bridge to accommodate more private vehicle traffic.
The average waiting time right now is about 25 minutes, but things always can move more quickly, said Josue Garcia, bridge director of the Cameron County International Bridge System.
“Privately-owned vehicles had a slump back in 2009, and although (crossings) are slowly coming back up, it’s not as fast as we would like,” Garcia said. “Our thinking is that people nowadays want to get to places quick.”
Cameron County was recently accepted into a donation acceptance program with CBP.
Competition for these opportunities is fierce, but if accepted, it means CBP will commit resources toward the county in question, Garcia said.
“When CBP accepts a (Donation Acceptance Program), they’re accepting the proposed expansion, and part of that expansion is on their end. … They’re accepting the fact that they need the manpower to man those stations,” Garcia said.
Currently, all partners involved in the proposed expansion are meeting bi-weekly. There is not a timeline on the expansion right now. How quickly the expansion gets built will depend on each individual partner.
The expansion also will help commercial traffic. First- and second-quarter traffic this year was up 10 percent and 7 percent, respectively.
“This is vital because it doesn’t only affect the region here but the whole country, because these are, if you will, the gateway into Mexico, South America and Central America,” Garcia said.
In a press release, U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, said the expansion would increase the speed and efficiency of inspections, and improve wait times for the thousands that cross daily.
“While improving the flow of traffic at the Veterans Bridge will help alleviate some congestion, we must continue to do more to invest in our nation’s infrastructure, including at our ports of entry, which are critical to trade and our economy,” Vela said.
