Anzalduas bridge faces threat of rival crossings

GRANJENO - As tons of metal and concrete rise across the Rio Grande, workers are busily making final preparations for the opening of a new international crossing in Granjeno that will bring travelers and truckers through the area.

Similar scenes are taking place, or could soon be taking place, in border cities across the Southwest.

An unprecedented number of new border crossings and expansions are in the pipeline - some of which may compete with the new Anzalduas International Bridge for traffic.

Anzalduas, which will cost about $80 million for the U.S. side, is set to open in October southwest of McAllen and is being touted as the principal route for manufacturers coming from the west side of Reynosa.

But a bevy of new or expanded crossings in the Southwest are also on the horizon.

Earlier this month, officials from the U.S. Department of State and other agencies met with state and local bridge officials, engineers, and executives in Brownsville for an update on the status of the region's international crossings. Some 200 people participated in the meeting.

Upcoming projects include rail crossings in Brownsville and Santa Teresa, N.M. - the first new rail crossings over the river in 100 years - as well as new spans or bridges in Brownsville, Donna, El Paso and Laredo.

"While McAllen is opening Anzalduas ... competition for Mexico dollars and trade is significant and growing with new crossings under way or on the board in neighboring communities," wrote Teclo Garcia, McAllen's director of government affairs, in a memo to city leaders.

"Maintaining market share with efficient crossings is important to the city's continued prosperity."

Among the upcoming projects is a new, four-lane addition to the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville. The $11 million project does not yet have the requisite permits.

In El Paso, the new Tornillo-Guadalupe International Bridge is scheduled for construction in April 2011. There are also several proposals for new rail crossings there.

In Laredo, plans are under way for new rail crossings and a non-commercial vehicle bridge.

And the Donna-Rio Bravo International Bridge could open as early as February 2011. It will initially carry non-commercial traffic, but leaders hope to eventually have cargo traveling across it as well.

The challenge facing Anzalduas is a double whammy, since it will open at a time when border crossings - and the revenue they generate - is on the decline.

This month, car, truck and bus traffic was down 13 percent, 40 percent and 18 percent, respectively, at McAllen's other bridge, the Hidalgo-Reynosa crossing.

And while McAllen earned $6.2 million in revenue from that crossing last year, it's projecting that figure to drop by about $700,000 this year.

Though the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge is not open for commercial traffic, Anzalduas is likely to have slow times, too, at least initially, due to a decline in manufacturing.

Carlos Garza, chair of the McAllen bridge board, said he understands Anzalduas isn't opening during a boom time, but city officials are looking at the long term.

"You build a bridge not for the first three years of a project - you do it for a lifetime," Garza said. "It's going to be open for 100 years."

Robert Long, owner of the Pharr-based shipping company USI Transportation, agreed.

"It's not going to be utilized (initially) as expected," Long said, "but it's still going to be here and there's plenty enough time to take advantage of it."

"It's unfortunate the way the market is in a downturn - you won't see a benefit until probably next year."

And George Ramon, McAllen's bridge director, said he doesn't view other bridges along the border as competition. The ultimate goal is to promote regional trade, and additional bridges here advance that mission. More and better crossings will help encourage investment and industry in the region.

Meanwhile, the border area has a record of recovering from economic slowdowns, Ramon said, citing past bounce-backs from peso devaluations.

Though he conceded that Anzalduas' potential market share might shrink as a result of some competition, that's not a major concern, he said, since a bridge is viewed more as a tool to help spur investment, as opposed to being a revenue generator in and of itself.

"It really goes beyond the bottom line," said Garcia, McAllen's government affairs director. "There's added value. The city, the county and the region will profit from the project once it gets going."

Ernesto Silva, Donna's bridge project coordinator, said he believes his crossing could be a more attractive option for traffic originating from Monterrey and the interior of Mexico due to its proximity to the proposed Hidalgo County highway loop.

Garza said Anzalduas would be an attractive option, since it provides easy access to Expressway 83 and truckers will be more likely to stay in McAllen hotels.

Al Hauman, president of McAllen-based Avenue Logistics, said Anzalduas has a prime location proximate to the highway from Monterrey, and he doesn't think the Donna bridge will hurt its business.

He added that those in shipping and manufacturing have wanted Anzalduas for a long time. And, he noted, if the region lands the auto plant it has been pushing for, "they're going to need all the bridges they can get."

But both Silva and Garza said they aren't focused on competition per se.

"My objective is not what the market share for Anzalduas will be," Garza said. "It's what can we do to increase the market share of the bridge system and make this more attractive than bridge crossings up and down the border."

Ryan Holeywell covers McAllen, PSJA, the Mid-Valley and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4446.