MCALLEN, Texas - The cities of McAllen, Mission, Hidalgo and Granjeno have urged TxDOT to make a direct connector between Anzalduas Highway and I-2 in Mission a top priority.
The four cities have passed resolutions to this effect, said Juan Olaguibel, superintendent of bridges for the City of McAllen, at a recent meeting of the Texas Freight Advisory Committee.
“In front of you is a resolution that was passed by the Bridge Board and the City of McAllen, the City of Mission, the City of Hidalgo and the City of Granjeno supporting the Texas Department of Transportation’s consideration, development, and construction of FM 396, the Anzalduas Highway, a director connector to the Interstate 2 project,” Olaguibel told committee members.
“As you will see when we head out there, this connector will be beneficial to Anzalduas Bridge and all the economic development that is coming as a result of the cargo being able to cross the international bridge.”
At the conclusion of the meeting, Olaguibel took members of the TFAC on a private tour of Anzalduas International Bridge. He was able to show them the intersection of Anzalduas Highway and I-2. The intersection is controlled by traffic lights.
The TFAC meeting was held at McAllen Convention Center. One of the agenda items was titled “Anzalduas Bridge Project Update.” Olaguibel gave the presentation.
“The Anzalduas International Bridge was opened in 2010 to vehicular tariff. There was a caveat of a presidential permit that said full cargo could not begin until 2015. Fast forward, we are months away from completing construction and opening full cargo operations at the bridge,” Olaguibel said.
“The equipment and layout for the port of entry, as you will see, is designed to be efficient in order to facilitate crossings quickly, and probably, most likely, CBP is saying that this bridge will one of the fastest, if not the fastest in the entire country.”
CBP stands for Customs & Border Protection.
Olaguibel said Anzalduas International Bridge will not carry fresh produce.
“The Anzalduas International Bridge is located ten miles away from two of the biggest industrial parks in Reynosa, Tamaulipas. We are two hours away from Monterrey, Nuevo León, the largest industrial capital, second to Mexico City for industrial parks.”
Olaguibel said all trucks crossing the bridge will be x-rayed in advance of reaching CBP toll booths. “This will make the traffic flow more efficient or quicker,” he said.
IBC Bank Executive Vice President Gerry Schwebel is the incoming chair of the Texas Freight Advisory Committee. (Photo: RGG/Steve Taylor)
In the Q&A portion of the presentation, TFAC board member Gerry Schwebel asked Olaguibel to explain what trucks can currently cross at Anzalduas.
Olaguibel responded: “We are (currently) allowed to have southbound empty truck traffic. We have been working all the agencies, the State Department, Aduana (the Mexican customs agency), the Department of Transportation to see how we can start operations on the Mexican side. Right now, they are considering who is going to be constructing (their inspection facilities). But in the meantime, there are facilities that we can use to do the inspections. It might not be as big as what is being proposed but there are some facilities out there that they can start using. The problem on the US side is getting everything ready to go.”
McAllen City Manager Isaac “Ike” Tawil then answered Schwebel’s question. Tawil is also a member of TFAC.
“We are waiting for just a final couple of pieces of equipment from the federal government to shore up their end,” Tawil said. “One of the things we look forward to being able to do is separate that commercial traffic from the vehicular traffic, so they interfere with each other less and have a better traffic flow.”
Tawil continued: “On the state side, and pertinent to this room, our biggest concern right now is what happens to the commercial cargo when crossing the bridge. Like Juan (Olaguibel) mentioned, the bridge is just kilometers away from the largest industrial parks in northern Mexico and we expect, when we open in the next couple of months, a very large flow of commercial traffic coming through the bridge. That traffic will come up Anzalduas Highway and meet the interstate at a stop sign.”
Earlier in the meeting there had been a presentation by TxDOT about the advantages of roundabouts over intersections. There are less accidents at roundabouts, Amanda Auston, of TxDOT’s Design Division, had reported.
“A roundabout would be appreciated right about now,” Tawil quipped, in reference to the intersection of Anzalduas Highway and I-2.
“What would be more appreciated would be direct connectors that merge the two highways. We think with the volume of traffic coming… we continue to advocate in every forum we have an opportunity to, that this be a priority project for TxDOT.”
Schwebel, an executive vice president with IBC Bank, continued the conversation with Tawil.
“We always plan for inside the (port of entry) gate, we don’t plan for outside the gate. Connectivity to all these ports of entry is important. That is why TxDOT becomes critical, to be at the table so you can have connectivity from outside the gate that leads into these ports of entry that we all want used at their full capacity,” Schwebel said.
Tawil responded: “I could not agree with you more Gerry, but Keith did not resign from this board until the meeting before I came here last time. I have only had two opportunities to bring this (a director connector for Anzalduas Highway and I-2) up, but I promise to bring it up every meeting I get a chance.”
The “Keith” Tawil referred to is Keith Patridge, the former president of McAllen Economic Development Corporation.
