Cameron County planning to build new international bridge
Lawmakers who represent the Rio Grande Valley in Washington D.C. are working with senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn to build new international bridges in the Valley.
One area where they support a new bridge is Brownsville. The county wants to begin construction on the Flor De Mayo Bridge.
The group of lawmakers pushing for its construction sent President Joe Biden a letter calling on him to green-light a permit that's needed.
A new bridge Cameron County is hoping to build could ease wait times. If approved, the bridge would strictly be for passenger vehicles and pedestrians.
"It will still help the maquiladora industry, because it will help their employees get from the U.S. to Mexico and vice versa. So it will alleviate other bridges in downtown Brownsville that carry passenger vehicle today," Cameron County Administrator Pete Sepulveda Jr. said.
Sepulveda says a presidential permit is needed before construction can begin. The county first applied for it two years ago.
Before the administration issues the permit, they want the county to conduct an environmental assessment, one that will be costly.
With bipartisan support, Sepulveda is hopeful construction on a new bridge is in the future.
An environmental assessment is expected to get underway in the next 30 days.
A presidential permit is still needed before any construction can begin. If approved, it would be the fourth international bridge in Cameron County.
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