In The News
LAREDO MORNING TIMES: $62 million in fixes eyed for bridges
Laredo,
June 26, 2015
U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, announced Thursday that the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge, also known as bridge II, will undergo renovations starting this summer that will include a new bus inspection and passenger processing area; an improved waiting area; restrooms and a canopy for loading and unloading buses. The $62 million construction project will also include some renovations to the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge, also known as bridge I. Bridge I renovations still await other sources of funding, but they will include updating its historic administration building to improve pedestrian flow and new technology, Cuellar said. “Once we put the whole package together, you’re going to be looking at probably one of the larger amount of monies coming into Laredo,” Cuellar said. The congressman said the fixes will improve traffic, bicycle and pedestrian flow and reduce crossing wait times. Cuellar also said both bridge renovations would improve the visitors’ first impressions of the United States for those traveling across the bridges for the first time. He said he does not remember the last time bridge I had undergone renovations. Meanwhile, it has been about 10 years since bridge II had seen improvements, Cuellar said. The project’s estimated start and completion dates will be officially released later this summer, but it is scheduled to start this summer and completing the project will take a couple of years, Cuellar said. Both bridges will not close completely, but there will be closed lanes while they are under construction. An official press conference and public presentation will take place on the third week of August where there will be drawings and more information available on the renovations, Cuellar said. According to the congressman’s office, bridge II ranked as the second busiest crossing for buses in fiscal year 2012 with an average of 106 buses a day. In 2012 and 2013, bridge I was the fourth busiest bridge for privately-owned vehicle crossings with 3,364,645 and 3,519,680, respectively. |