By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Work is slated to begin Monday on a two-lane expansion project just south of the Del Rio Port Entry, promising to speed the flow of traffic from Mexico once it is complete.
Dignitaries representing the city, the county, the state, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, local businesses and Ciudad Acuña, Coah., Mexico, gathered at the site where the lane expansion will begin for a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning. The new lanes will be located on the east side of the current roadway south of the port of entry.
Del Rio Mayor Al Arreola welcomed those attending, including his city council colleagues, Councilman Jim DeReus, Councilwoman Alexandra Falcon Calderon and Councilman Jesus Lopez Jr. He also welcomed Val Verde County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr., County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton, Col. Matthew Altman, commander of the 47th Mission Support Group at Laughlin Air Force Base, Port Director Liliana Flores, District 74 Texas Rep. Eddie Morales and Morales’ wife Helen.
Arreola also recognized other guests, including Ciudad Acuña Mayor Emilio De Hoyos, Guatemala Consul Randy Castillo, Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez, Del Rio Police Department Chief Frank Ramirez, Del Rio Economic Development Corporation President Eddie Amezcua Jr., City Economic Development Director Jorge Ramon and former Del Rio Mayor Roberto “Bobby” Fernandez, representing the Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Flores spoke after the mayor and said she wished to recognize the work done over the past three years by the city and the federal government’s donation acceptance program in moving the project forward.
“What started out as a simple idea has now come to fruition, and collectively, we have all played a role in this successful and historic moment. Each of us worked together to achieve our common goal, the lane expansion project, that will further facilitate and expedite the crossing of commercial shipments and participants in the SENTRI lane,” Flores said.
Flores said she believed the project would provide a “great benefit” to the community.
“We hope this groundbreaking ceremony will further strengthen the international, multi-agency approach for future endeavors between Customs and Border Protection, the city of Del Rio, the government of Mexico and stakeholders,” the port director added.
Del Rio Public Works Director Albert Quintanilla spoke about the project itself, noting that once complete, the two-lane expansion project will funnel commercial trucks into their own lane, allowing for faster passage through the port of entry.
“They say time is money, and being in stuck in traffic, we’re wasting time and we’re wasting money. This will open up the opportunity to get more traffic over the bridge, shorter wait times . . . At $2 million, it’s not really a big project, but the impact on time will be drastic,” Quintanilla said.
City officials after the ceremony said mobilization for construction of the lane expansion would begin Monday, with the project expected to be completed in seven months.
Ciudad Acuña Mayor Emilio De Hoyos spoke next, saying the project will not only benefit Del Rio, but will help Ciudad Acuña.
“We are one community that stands up together . . . This day marks an important day. It’s a step in the great task of making our sister cities an attractive border crossing for industry, companies, customs brokers and carriers who participate daily in the exchange of goods on both sides of the border,” De Hoyos said.
De Hoyos also pledged to continue working with the state and federal governments in Mexico to further the infrastructure that will be needed in Mexico to serve a second international bridge.
“Let’s continue to work together to become a modern border of progress and development that we all want. We will continue to guarantee the conditions of peace and security so that projects like this continue to attract investments that contribute to the development and prosperity of our region.
“We are not just two cities divided by a river. We are not united only by commercial and economic ties. We are united by our brotherhood, our hearts and our love for our cities. We are family,” De Hoyos added.
Amezcua also thanked those attending and called the project “a win” for the citizens of Del Rio.
He said it is to date the largest project the city’s economic development corporation has undertaken.
“Let me give you some numbers as to why this expansion was so important. The number of trucks that cross through the port of Del Rio in 2021 was over 84,000. This number of trucks ranked us 11th out of 47 crossing ports. The Del Rio international border crossing amounts to $2.3 billion in imports and $1.5 billion in exports. It’s safe to say we needed this expansion,” Amezcua said, noting border-crossing traffic has been up 17 percent so far this year.
Amezcua said by working together, Del Rio could become “the best international trade city to be known on the border, in the country and in the world.”
Chandra Eggemeyer, West Texas community relations specialist for the governor’s office of economic development and tourism, next presented a proclamation from the office of the Texas governor to the city to commemorate the project.
After the presentation of the proclamation, the dignitaries, led by the two mayors, moved to the groundbreaking site for the symbolic turning of earth, then on to the city’s multi-purpose center for brunch.
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