Officials Meet in Laredo to Review World Trade Bridge Expansion

Tamaulipas Minister of Economy, Ninfa Cantú, led a binational meeting in Laredo, Texas, alongside Mayor Víctor Treviño, to review the progress of the World Trade Bridge Expansion Project. The initiative is considered a cornerstone for strengthening trade between Mexico and the United States.

“This expansion is a decisive step to accelerate commercial flows, reduce logistics times, and provide certainty and efficiency to the thousands of companies that transit this border every day,” says Cantú.

During the session, authorities highlighted the latest results and outlined the scope of the expansion, which includes the construction of eight new toll booths, eight additional northbound lanes, the addition of two lanes to the existing bridge structure, and the installation of four new “Multi-Energy” portals by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Complementary to the bridge expansion, the Government of Tamaulipas is also completing works on the Libramiento Mex II. Together, these projects represent an investment of over MX$1.4 billion (US$75.1 million).

The meeting underscored the bridge’s central role in bilateral commerce. In 2024, trade between the two nations reached US$840 billion, with the Laredo port of entry processing US$339 billion. For the second consecutive year, this crossing maintained its position as the leading US port in terms of the value of goods moved.

New Bridge Project to Connect Roma, Texas, and Mier, Tamaulipas

In a parallel effort to boost regional connectivity, Governor of Tamaulipas Américo Villarreal held a working meeting with Mayor of Roma Jaime Escobar Jr. to promote a binational agenda for the construction of a new international bridge linking Mier, Tamaulipas, with Roma, Texas.

Mayor Escobar Jr. described the project as a “dream of years” that could finally materialize with the commitment and support of Governor Villarreal. The governor expressed his full backing, noting that with the arrival of Mexico’s new National Customs Agency (ANAM) and the construction of 15 Safe Stations along the Tamaulipas border, the creation of another international crossing would be transformative for the region.

“We support and back this great binational project,” says Villarreal. Both leaders agreed to move forward with environmental impact studies and the executive project for this major infrastructure work, which they consider highly likely to be realized in the coming years.