Presidential permits will no longer delay international bridge projects in South Texas border communities.
President Joe Biden authorized the permits last week for projects in Webb, Cameron, and Maverick counties.
The permits will allow for the construction, maintenance, and operation of vehicular, pedestrian and rail crossings located along several border cities.
This includes the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, the Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge in Eagle Pass, and the Flor de Mayo Bridge in Brownsville.
The approval comes following a bipartisan, bicameral push by Sen. Ted Cruz, Sen. John Cornyn and House Reps. Vicente Gonzalez, Henry Cuellar, Monica de la Cruz, Joaquin Castro, and Tony Gonzales to resolve delays.
“The bridges were needlessly held up, and ending the delays will provide immeasurable benefits to the communities of Eagle Pass, Laredo, and Brownsville, as well as for farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, and small businesses across Texas,” Cruz said in a statement.
Cuellar said the permits will allow for the proposed construction of an additional eight-lane bridge for northbound traffic in Laredo and expand the existing bridge span from eight lanes to 10.
“Laredo is home to the nation’s number one port of entry,” he said in a release. “The World Trade Bridge Expansion is critical to easing congestion and reducing wait times at the bridge so trade can increase and our South Texas economy can continue to grow.”
The Texas lawmakers successfully secured language in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act into law last year to streamline the presidential permitting process.
It required the State Department to submit for approval and the White House to approve or deny the permits for these projects within 60 days respectively.
Presidential permits are required for any construction projects that will take place on border crossings. Previously, obtaining a permit required a complete environmental review — which could take years to complete. The language allowed Biden to issue conditional permits for the projects while environment reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act are ongoing.
The lawmakers said the bridge projects will help facilitate the movement of goods and strengthen the U.S.-Mexico supply chain.
In 2022, trade between Texas and Mexico totaled nearly $286 billion, ranking Mexico as Texas’ top trading partner.
Mexico also overtook China earlier this year as the biggest trading partner of the U.S. when it came to imported goods.
