Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Second in a three part series
County commissioners court members voted to oppose using Las Brisas Boulevard north of Del Rio as a route to connect a proposed second international bridge and U.S. Highway 90.
The court took the unanimous vote during a joint meeting Tuesday of the court and the Del Rio City Council about the proposed second international bridge.
After several persons who own homes and properties along Las Brisas Boulevard spoke to the court and council against using Las Brisas as the main connector route for the planned bridge, County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. said the court’s agenda for the evening included an action item.
As soon as Owens finished speaking, County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton said, “I’m going to make a motion that we oppose the current route of the second international bridge and work with the city to look at an alternative route.”
County Commissioner Pct. 1 Martin Wardlaw immediately gave the second.
“I’ve got a question,” County Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores said.
“Are we talking a new route and new options for the bridge?” Flores asked.
“Yes,” Nettleton said.
Owens asked if there were any other questions, and when there were none, he called for the vote. The court voted unanimously in favor of Nettleton’s motion.
After the vote, Nettleton said, “Now, I want you all to understand something about the motion that was made. It doesn’t matter because it’s not our project. While we don’t support it, I was the one who set aside Las Brisas, I understand everybody’s issues with it. The city can still move forward, no matter what we do.
“I agree with the judge that we need to look at a route south of the existing bridge, which makes more sense. When we set this (Las Brisas route) aside years ago, it was the feasible place to put this project, but things have changed, and it is what it is. I think we need to look at a different route, but (the city) can still move forward no matter what we do, because this is their project, and they’re doing the funding,” Nettleton said.
He reiterated he believes the city needs “to look at a whole different location” for the bridge site.
“I personally believe that we need to expand the existing bridge, build a loop from 277 South to the existing bridge, because the biggest problem we have is even if we get the truck traffic here, we don’t have the infrastructure on the American side to get it out of here.
“We’ve got to get Ports-To-Plains built. We’ve got to get (Highway) 90 widened. By expanding the existing bridge, it would give us time to start these other projects and put the infrastructure on our side of the river in a position where we could handle the additional truck traffic when and if the day comes when we need to,” Nettleton said.
After the vote, Owens adjourned county commissioners court.
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