By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
City council members recently learned the next steps the city will have to take to move forward toward the construction of a second international bridge.
Assistant City Manager Manuel Chavez introduced Michael C. Riojas of S&B Infrastructure Ltd. of San Antonio, who gave the presentation on the second international bridge project during the council’s Feb. 8 meeting.
Chavez noted Riojas made his last presentation to the council in March 2021.
Riojas reviewed the history of the current project, noting the city’s existing international bridge, which links Del Rio with Ciudad Acuña, Coah., Mexico, was initially built in 1930, then reconstructed in 1987.
Among the issues with the existing bridge are its funneling of commercial traffic into the downtown areas of both Del Rio and Acuña, constraints on future expansion, inefficient connectivity to Mexico’s proposed industrial zones and infrastructure and use of the Amistad Dam crossing as an alternate port-of-entry.
Riojas told the council in 2012, the city and the county formed a partnership to sponsor a feasibility study to look into the possibility of constructing a second international bridge.
At that time, project consultants and their counterparts in Mexico began looking at six prospective locations for a possible second bridge, four upstream of the existing bridge, one at the existing bridge and one downstream of the existing bridge.
Eventually, a location about seven miles upstream of the existing bridge was selected.
A corridor to reach the site on the U.S. side was also identified and selected.
The planning consultants also have conducted point-of-origin surveys, border crossing surveys and other traffic studies.
The most current total estimated cost of the bridge and its associated roadways is $131,747,267.50.
Riojas told the council the next step in the process is to obtain a presidential permit.
That process will include making a request for a second bridge to Customs and Border Protection and to the General Services Administration.
In the process of applying for the permit, Riojas said, the consultants and their counterparts in Mexico will conduct the required technical and environmental studies.
After the presidential permit process has been completed, the consultants will begin the design and bidding process, Riojas said.
Those next steps, beginning the presidential permit process, he said, would include conducting an investment grade toll and revenue study, a preliminary engineering report, a hydraulic analysis, bridge layouts and schematics, an environmental investigation and documentation, a construction action plan, a financing plan, a conceptual bridge plan and public involvement.
Riojas said the cost of the presidential permitting phase is estimated at about $5 million.
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