By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
City elected officials and administrators are moving ahead with plans for a second international bridge, with March meetings planned to pitch the idea to federal elected officials and a binational group dealing with bridges and border crossings.
Assistant City Manager Manuel Chavez presented an update on the city’s progress during Tuesday’s meeting of the city’s international bridge board.
The bridge board is chaired by Mayor Al Arreola and includes several local business leaders and other citizen volunteers.
Arreola during the meeting first called on Chavez to go over financial reports dealing with financial reserves for future bridge construction, a report the assistant city manager gives at every bridge board meeting.
Chavez told the board, “I do apologize. There’s no report for this month. On the next bridge board meeting, I will have December 2024 and January 2025 reports, along with a request for a budget amendment for the board to consider.”
Arreola asked if the board members had any questions, and hearing none, he again recognized Chavez to speak to the board about the next item on the agenda, “Update on the second international bridge.”
Chavez said, “Yes, mayor, bridge board members, I just wanted to continue to mention that our consultants from RRP (Consulting Engineers) continue to work with their counterparts in (Ciudad) Acuña, working toward the presidential permit (for the second bridge). That’s something that continues.
“Also, I want to mention an upcoming meeting, around March, most likely, there will be a binational meeting that the city (of Del Rio) and the city of Acuña need to present at, and we will be represented by both consultants and most likely a member of the city at this particular meeting. Usually that is a quick, five-minute presentation, but that’s key to continue to make sure that the city’s (second international bridge) project continues to be on the radar,” Chavez said.
The meeting to which Chavez referred is the meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Binational Bridges and Border Crossings Group (BBBXG), an organization that “works to improve the efficiency of border crossings between the United States and Mexico,” according to Google.
“I also want to mention that in the early part of March, the city contingent with be headed to Washington, D.C., along with our consultant, to continue to promote and push forward the second international bridge (project),” Chavez said.
“Any questions for Mr. Chavez on the second international bridge?” Arreola asked after Chavez finished his update.
Hearing none, Arreola moved on to the next item on agenda, setting the date for the group’s next meeting in February. That meeting was set for 10 a.m. on Feb. 25, in council chambers at City Hall.
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