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Obama, Calderón, may officially open Anzalduas Bridge
by Rio Grande International Study Center in

MISSION, Dec. 31 - Border leaders are working hard to get President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderón to officially open Anzalduas International Bridge next month.

“I would say there is a 50-50 chance of getting the two presidents here for the official opening,” said U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes. “I am working hard to make it happen. We are looking at either January 12 or January 16. I have made phone calls and I am waiting for a return.”

Hinojosa said city leaders in McAllen, Mission, Hidalgo and Granjeno deserve praise for the efforts they are making to get the two presidents to the border. “You have to understand that both of presidents are working with some extremely difficult issues. We will have to wait and see,” Hinojosa said.

Anzalduas International Bridge is situated three miles west of the Hidalgo/Reynosa International Bridge, off of Military Highway and Anzalduas Highway (FM 396) in Mission. It connects Mission, Texas, with the west side of Reynosa, Tamaulipas. It was opened to traffic on Dec. 15.

Carlos I. Garza, chairman of the Anzalduas International Bridge Board, said the new crossing point is important because it will cut down the commute time for thousands of U.S. workers employed at maquiladoras immediately across the border in Mexico.

The span connects McAllen’s Foreign Trade Zone and the massive Sharyland Plantation development directly to Reynosa’s fast-growing west side and its modern industrial parks. “An increase in cross border activity will improve the economies on both sides of the border,” Garza said.

McAllen Mayor Richard Cortez said the new crossing is the result of intense collaboration on the international, federal, state and local levels and an investment worth more than $100 million. It is a collaborative project between the cities of McAllen, Mission, Hidalgo and Granjeno and a decade in the making.

“The opening of the Anzalduas International Bridge will get us closer to being the destination of choice for international business development and it will make it easier for Mexican tourists to cross more efficiently,” said Cortez, on the first day travelers were allowed to use the bridge. “It is a complement to the many assets we are developing to make our region the choice to many who are seeking quality of life.”

Hidalgo Mayor John David Franz agreed.

“The opening of the Anzalduas International Bridge brings us closer to being the best option for international business development and it facilitates travel for Mexican tourists, allowing faster crossings,” Franz said.

State Sen. Eddie Lucio said a visit by Obama to the border was important for a number of reasons. The Brownsville Democrat has twice written to the White House offering his assistance on border and health issues.

“A visit by President Obama would be wonderful. We need the President to come to our area of the state and country. I don’t know if he took it all in when he was campaigning… the issues that are important to us, the international issues that we live with each day, immigration, the criminal element that we have to put up with each day, health care issues,” Lucio said.

“We have a perspective that he needs to look at first hand to better understand how life really is on the border and South Texas. We are as American as anyone living in Boston or New York. We need our own place at the table to be able to offer the type of information that they need to make critical decisions. His visit would be huge. I personally would like to attend and listen to his plans for the future.”

Lucio joked that his best chance of getting to see Obama could be through his son, state Rep. Eddie Lucio III, D-San Benito. Senator Lucio first backed Hillary Clinton for president in 2008, switching to Obama after the Democratic Party primary was over. Rep. Lucio backed Obama from the beginning.

“I will have to turn to my son to see if he can communicate with the White House. I want to get close to Obama. I have written him a couple of times and I have not really had an answer from him officially,” Lucio said.

“I have talked to one of his aides. I told him that I am at the President’s disposal. I have 22 years in state government. I know the issues here. I know the international issues as well. I have worked with the people in Mexico, so the President can use me in any way that he needs to be able to further his cause and his presidency.”

Here is an Anzalduas International Bridge Project Fact Sheet produced by the Anzalduas International Bridge Board:

• Bridge is located in Mission, Texas south of Military Highway and Bryan Road. Crossing is 3 miles west of the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge, off of Military Highway and Anzalduas Highway (FM 396).

• Anzalduas is the closest international crossing to Mexico City and Monterrey. Route will reduce travel time to Monterrey by 30-45 minutes.

• Anzalduas International Bridge has four entrance lanes, including a SENTRI Lane in the United States. Bridge span is 3.2 miles (5.1 KM) from port to port and features 4 lanes, two safety bump-out spaces, and a pedestrian walkway. Lanes elevated to preserve nearby U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge.

• Anzalduas is a joint public project between the cities of McAllen, Mission, Hidalgo and Granjeno, TX DOT, the federal government (GSA) and the Republic of Mexico worth over $100 million dollars.

• In Texas, the Anzalduas International Bridge connects to the McAllen Foreign Trade Zone, where more than 410 companies are based; and the Sharyland Plantation, a 6,000 acre residential, industrial and retail development.

• Dozens of multi-national corporations are located in state of the art industrial areas near Anzalduas’ entry in west Reynosa, MX. The companies include: Nokia, Matsushita, Black and Decker, Fujitsu, Seimens, Corning, TRW and Symbol Technologies

• Anzalduas International Bridge hours of operation: 6 am to 10 pm, daily

• Official bridge inauguration is planned for January of 2010

Time Line

1992-1998 Preliminary design and site location studies by Halff and Associates
1994 Wilbur Smith Associates complete traffic study
1994-1998 Review of preliminary application for U.S. Permit by U.S. federal agencies
1995 Four party agreement with federal agencies for land use at site
July 1999 U.S. Presidential Permit issued by President Clinton
Feb 2001 Initial exchange of diplomatic notes with Mexico
Fall 2003 Approval by federal agencies of construction plans
Fall 2007 June 2007, bridge groundbreaking ceremony
Fall of 2009 Anzalduas International Bridge Completed

Anzalduas Bridge Board Summary of Costs from 2007 to 2009

Bridge Contract to Williams Bros $28,713, 014
Toll Plaza Building & Landscaping $3,078,014
Roadways, Drainage & Site Improvements $3,961,122
Water, Sanitary Sewer Lines $2,296,078
Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment $909,011
Electrical Utilities & Lighting $1,543,206
All other owner’s expense $2,796,171
Grand Total $43,296,616

Written by Steve Taylor

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