The $83 million project to transform the Anzalduas International Bridge into a full-service cross-border commercial port is entering its final stages of construction.

A first quarter completion in 2025 is now anticipated. In late July, the governor of San Luis Potosi, Ricardo Gallardo Cardona, visited the bridge south of Mission to see the work being done and to meet with city leaders from Mission, McAllen and Hidalgo. The bridge opened in 2009 as a predominantly vehicular passenger bridge with empty commercial trucks allowed to go southbound into Mexico.

Anzalduas’ expansion will change that dynamic with the addition of six commercial lanes for trucks. Inspection bays and booths are under construction to facilitate the movement of commercial truck traffic. A command center will oversee cargo processing and administrative functions. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release says the new facilities “will support the processing of fully laden southbound and northbound commercial traffic.”

The bridge’s expansion is of particular interest to Cordona, whose state has become a hot spot in Mexico’s automotive industry. Over the last year, San Luis Potosi has attracted 10 projects worth more than $1.6 billion in making the state one of Mexico’s leading automotive industrial areas. Cardona sees Anzalduas as playing a key role in the movement of goods and products once the bridge’s expansion is complete. 

“For us, to have a bridge like this will facilitate logistics, reduce costs, and most importantly, boost the companies that come to our city to invest and grow their business,” Cardona said in remarks at Anzalduas on July 31. “We are here to support and affirm the support of San Luis Potosi to these (U.S.) cities on the border.”

Exploring Potential Of Trade

The cities of McAllen, Mission and Hidalgo own the Anzalduas bridge with McAllen’s bridge system overseeing daily operations.

The expansion of the bridge just south of Mission represents a major upgrade for Hidalgo County in facilitating the movement of loaded commercial trucks to and from Mexico. The Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge – about 25 miles to the east of Anzalduas – is currently the only bridge in the county that accepts commercially loaded trucks. 

The Mission Economic Development Corporation estimates that 1,500 commercial trucks will cross Anzalduas daily when the bridge expansion is completed early next year. It is a port of entry that will focus on dry goods. Products and components will come from Reynosa’s maquiladoras and points further south like the manufacturing facilities in San Luis Potosi, which is 400 miles from the U.S./Mexican border.

“The Anzalduas International Bridge is more than just a structure,” said Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza. “It’s a vital link facilitating trade, travel and cultural exchange. We’re excited to explore the potential of trade and investment that this partnership holds.”

For Mission, the Anzalduas expansion represents the first opportunity the city will have to see international trade make a direct impact on its growth and development. The Mission EDC’s chief executive officer, Teclo Garcia, has made multiple trips to San Luis Potosi over the last year to develop contacts with the automotive industry there. He says the Mexican state “has really leveraged the nearshoring phenomenon.”

‘Game Changer’

Nearshoring includes the relocation of manufacturing facilities from Asia to Mexico to cut costs and make supply chains more efficient in moving products to North American markets. The Mexican states of Nuevo Leon and San Luis Potosi have surged with industrial growth since nearshoring trends began accelerating in 2021. 

“What’s important is commerce and trade,” said McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos. “We know what is happening with nearshoring and incredible things are happening right here in our area. I think this truly opens up the Rio Grande Valley as a leader in international trade.”

Garcia of the Mission EDC described the Anzalduas expansion as a “business game-changer for Mission and McAllen.”

“Cargo will not only boost the bridge’s bottom line, but it will spur economic development with the advent of investment, logistics, retail firms and new jobs,” Garcia said.

The bulk of the funding for the Anzalduas bridge expansion comes from a $63 million loan from the North American Development Bank to the City of McAllen. The remaining funding is sourced by a $25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and a $22 million grant from the Texas Department of Transportation.