By Joel Langton
The 830 Times
Del Rio and Acuña just hosted the largest Ports-to-Plains Alliance event the organization has ever held.
The 2026 Ports-to-Plains Alliance Annual Conference, held Sept. 8-10, attracted a record 345 government officials, transportation professionals, business leaders and community representatives from Mexico, the United States and Canada.
The conference focused on the infrastructure, policies and partnerships needed to move the Ports-to-Plains Corridor and Future Interstate 27 from designation to construction.
Future I-27 is envisioned as a north-south transportation corridor connecting Mexico, the United States and Canada. In Texas, the corridor includes U.S. Highway 277 through Del Rio, making the community an important link in North American trade.
“Improving the Ports-to-Plains (Future I-27) transportation corridor provides a critical alternative connection between the Economic Corridors of Canada and the Federal Highways (Carreteras Federales) of Mexico,” Ports-to-Plains Alliance President and CEO Lauren Garduño said.
“The strategic location of this corridor in the mid-western United States improves access to agriculture and energy commodities common to all three countries, enhancing the trading opportunities now and into the future,” Garduño said.
Mayor Al Arreola said Del Rio could begin seeing tangible progress within the next decade.
“I think in the next five to 10 years you’re going to start seeing shovels turned on this project,” Arreola said. “Right now, we are lobbying for Del Rio to Sonora, and it seems like the State of Texas is more excited about this than anyone else.”
“At one time, this was a dream of several business and community leaders in Del Rio, and now our most senior leaders are advocating and lobbying for it in Washington, D.C.,” he added.
Conference presentations examined the corridor’s role in international trade, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, energy production and national security.
A presentation on Ciudad Acuña’s industrial sector showed how manufacturers south of the border depend on efficient connections to suppliers and customers throughout the United States and Canada.
Other presentations addressed environmental studies, engineering, right-of-way acquisition and the state and federal funding needed to build the future interstate.
Transportation officials also provided updates on projects throughout the 2,300-mile corridor. Those projects range from planning studies to expanding two-lane highways into four-lane divided roadways.
The conference brought leaders from different states and countries together to exchange ideas and coordinate their work. Supporters said completing the corridor will require continued cooperation among local, state and federal officials across nine states.
Activities on both sides of the border highlighted Del Rio and Ciudad Acuña’s manufacturing base, international bridge and role in cross-border commerce.
“By Del Rio and Acuña successfully hosting this event together, we helped show that our community can spearhead this project for this portion of the country,” said Blanca Larson, president and CEO of the Del Rio Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau.
“When, not if, but when this project comes to fruition, it will change the face of Del Rio,” Larson said.
Arreola praised chamber officials for bringing the conference to the sister cities.
“They really lobbied to get it here, and it benefited the whole community, including Acuña,” Arreola said.
He said the route would serve not only as a transportation corridor but also as a tourism and Department of Defense corridor.
The record-setting conference placed Del Rio and Ciudad Acuña at the center of the discussion about how goods and people will move across North America in the coming decades.
