Laredo-Colombia Bridge to Double Lanes to Boost Trade

In a unanimous decision, the Laredo City Council has approved the expansion of lanes on the Laredo-Colombia Solidarity International Bridge, which connects Texas and Nuevo Leon. The expansion was promoted by Governor of Nuevo Leon Samuel García and aims to bolster trade between Nuevo Leon and Laredo, Texas, addressing the bridge’s underutilization.

The proposal for the expansion was presented by Marco Antonio González, Minister of Regional and Agricultural Development, who appeared before the Laredo City Council on behalf of Governor García. The expansion aims to prepare the Laredo-Colombia Bridge for the expected growth of cross-border trade caused by nearshoring. This expansion will involve increasing the lanes from eight to 16.

The Laredo Port of Entry processes the highest value of commercial goods across all ports of entry in the US. With an increase of 9.88% through June, exports totaled US$61.82 billion during the month, while imports were valued at US$97.62 billion, according to the latest US Census Bureau data analyzed by USTradeNumbers. In 2022, 2.08 million loaded truck containers crossed the Laredo Port of Entry for cross-border trade, the highest number in the US.

The World Trade Bridge, at the Laredo Port of Entry, is the largest and only dedicated commercial crossing on the Texas-Mexico border, according to a report by the Texas Department of Transportation. The Laredo–Colombia Bridge’s potential remains untapped due to the lack of direct connections between Monterrey and Colombia, reads the report. 

González emphasized that the Governments of Nuevo Leon and Laredo will equally finance this expansion and that once the technical work begins, each entity will notify their respective Federal Government.

The Laredo–Colombia Bridge currently sees 5,500 crossings per day, says García, compared to the 3,400 recorded at the beginning of his administration. This expansion is part of García’s Master Road Plan, which is already in the making with several ongoing infrastructural developments, including the modernization of the Monterrey-Colombia Highway and the La Gloria Colombia Highway. The last one is scheduled to be inaugurated later this year.