Del Rio City Councilwoman Ernestina “Tina” Martinez, foreground, and Val Verde County resident Pete Terlaje, background, review a series of posters explaining portions of the city’s proposed second international bridge project during a public meeting on the project, held at the civic center Nov. 2. (Photo by Karen Gleason)
NEWS — Public comments invited on second international bridge project
By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Residents and property owners in Del Rio and Val Verde County are being asked to comment on the city’s plan to work toward construction of a second international bridge linking the U.S. and Mexico.
More than 100 people attended an open house public meeting on the second international bridge project Nov. 2 at the Del Rio Civic Center.
Mayor Al Arreola welcomed those attending and said the meeting was being hosted by S&B Infrastructure Ltd. of San Antonio, the city’s consultants on the project, to provide information about the proposed construction of the bridge, port of entry facility and roadway improvements leading to the structure.
Arreola said the meeting was intended to be informal and informational. Later in the process, the city and its bridge consultants would schedule another meeting to hear comments from the public, the mayor said.
Everyone attending was encouraged to sign in and was provided with a comment sheet to fill out and return.
“The construction of a second bridge and port of entry for Del Rio has been in the works for many decades. It has taken considerable funding and many hours of time and effort to be able to get to this point,” Arreola said, adding that other thriving border cities have a “greater capacity for international travel” than Del Rio.
“The time is now . . . Not only will a second international bridge provide an additional international crossing for commercial trade, it will also provide a direct connection to the Ports-to-Plains, the I-27 Corridor,” Arreola added.
He turned the meeting over to Michael Riojas of S&B Infrastructure, who gave a short presentation on the project to date.
Riojas said the proposed second international bridge will be located northwest of Del Rio, roughly halfway between the existing bridge and Amistad Dam.
“The proposed project conceptually consists of a four-lane bridge across the Rio Grande, bridge approaches, associated roadways and a General Services Administration port of entry inspection facility with supporting infrastructure. The associated roadway improvements are proposed to include a direct connection to U.S. Highway 90 as well as a connector route to and from the Del Rio International Airport,” Riojas told the group.
Riojas briefly reviewed the history of the project and discussed the need for the second border crossing.
Mayor Al Arreola welcomes elected officials, Ciudad Acuña representatives and Val Verde County residents to a public meeting on the city’s proposed second international bridge project Nov. 2 at the civic center. (Photo by Karen Gleason)
“Based on projected traffic volumes, the existing Del Rio-Ciudad Acuña International Bridge would not have sufficient capacity to meet the future passenger and commercial demands in the cross-border region surrounding the city of Del Rio. The proposed Del Rio-Acuña II International Bridge project is needed to promote economic growth and commercial development in Del Rio by providing an alternative international crossing for passenger and commercial vehicles while avoiding traffic congestion through the Del Rio central business district. The proposed project is additionally needed to provide system connectivity for the movement of international products to the Ports-to-Plains Corridor and beyond,” according to the “project need and purpose” statement presented by Riojas.
Riojas said two alternatives are currently being considered as roadway approaches to the bridge, and these routes seemed to have been the reason most members of the public attended the meeting.
The first alternative route would connect the new bridge to U.S. Highway 90 via a route east along Las Brisas Boulevard north of Del Rio. The second alternative route would link the new bridge and the State Loop 79 overpass at U.S. Highway 90 via a new roadway running southwest from the Loop to the bridge.
Each route includes an option for connection with the Del Rio International Airport.
Riojas said comments from the public, including those collected Wednesday and emailed to the company before Nov. 17, would be considered before recommending a preferred alternative route.
Major projects still remain, though, including a comprehensive environmental survey, acquiring any necessary rights-of-way and submitting a request for a presidential permit.
Riojas said if all those projects go according to plan, detailed designs could be prepared in 2025-2027. If those are approved, construction could begin as early as 2028, he said.
After Riojas finished with his presentation, County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. spoke to the audience.
“My opinion is we have to build a second bridge. I’m throwing that out there just so you know where I stand,” Owens said.
He said he was concerned, though, with the proposed routes after they leave the large tracts of undeveloped land northwest of Del Rio to U.S. Highway 90. Much of the land in those areas has in recent years been developed in a series of homes on tracts of acreage known as the Lake Ridge Ranch estates.
Owens said when the SL79 overpass over Highway 90 was built, the plan was connect the new bridge to Las Brisas Boulevard and from there to the highway.
“But a lot has happened since SL79 was done and today. If you look at the homes that are built, the type of homes that were built, there was a lot that happened that wasn’t planned,” the judge said.
“I believe we need a bridge, but I also believe we need to discuss an alternate route, how to get from the ‘high fence property’ to 90, to SL79,” he added.
Owens said the county commissioners court would meet Tuesday and would have an item on the agenda to call a special meeting or to hold a series of meetings to allow the public to ask county elected leaders questions about the project.
“This is a topic we need to discuss,” Owens said.
The meeting ended after Owens spoke, but after he, Arreola and Riojas left the stage, Arturo Rodriguez, the Republican Party nominee for county judge, who is seeking to unseat Owens in November’s General Election, walked onto the stage and began addressing the crowd.
Arreola and City Manager John Sheedy moved to tell Rodriguez the meeting did not allow for public comment, and when Rodriguez seemed reluctant to give up his place at the microphone, Sheedy waved over two Del Rio Police Department officers.
NEWS — Public comments invited on second international bridge project
By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Residents and property owners in Del Rio and Val Verde County are being asked to comment on the city’s plan to work toward construction of a second international bridge linking the U.S. and Mexico.
More than 100 people attended an open house public meeting on the second international bridge project Nov. 2 at the Del Rio Civic Center.
Mayor Al Arreola welcomed those attending and said the meeting was being hosted by S&B Infrastructure Ltd. of San Antonio, the city’s consultants on the project, to provide information about the proposed construction of the bridge, port of entry facility and roadway improvements leading to the structure.
Arreola said the meeting was intended to be informal and informational. Later in the process, the city and its bridge consultants would schedule another meeting to hear comments from the public, the mayor said.
Everyone attending was encouraged to sign in and was provided with a comment sheet to fill out and return.
“The construction of a second bridge and port of entry for Del Rio has been in the works for many decades. It has taken considerable funding and many hours of time and effort to be able to get to this point,” Arreola said, adding that other thriving border cities have a “greater capacity for international travel” than Del Rio.
“The time is now . . . Not only will a second international bridge provide an additional international crossing for commercial trade, it will also provide a direct connection to the Ports-to-Plains, the I-27 Corridor,” Arreola added.
He turned the meeting over to Michael Riojas of S&B Infrastructure, who gave a short presentation on the project to date.
Riojas said the proposed second international bridge will be located northwest of Del Rio, roughly halfway between the existing bridge and Amistad Dam.
“The proposed project conceptually consists of a four-lane bridge across the Rio Grande, bridge approaches, associated roadways and a General Services Administration port of entry inspection facility with supporting infrastructure. The associated roadway improvements are proposed to include a direct connection to U.S. Highway 90 as well as a connector route to and from the Del Rio International Airport,” Riojas told the group.
Riojas briefly reviewed the history of the project and discussed the need for the second border crossing.
“Based on projected traffic volumes, the existing Del Rio-Ciudad Acuña International Bridge would not have sufficient capacity to meet the future passenger and commercial demands in the cross-border region surrounding the city of Del Rio. The proposed Del Rio-Acuña II International Bridge project is needed to promote economic growth and commercial development in Del Rio by providing an alternative international crossing for passenger and commercial vehicles while avoiding traffic congestion through the Del Rio central business district. The proposed project is additionally needed to provide system connectivity for the movement of international products to the Ports-to-Plains Corridor and beyond,” according to the “project need and purpose” statement presented by Riojas.
Riojas said two alternatives are currently being considered as roadway approaches to the bridge, and these routes seemed to have been the reason most members of the public attended the meeting.
The first alternative route would connect the new bridge to U.S. Highway 90 via a route east along Las Brisas Boulevard north of Del Rio. The second alternative route would link the new bridge and the State Loop 79 overpass at U.S. Highway 90 via a new roadway running southwest from the Loop to the bridge.
Each route includes an option for connection with the Del Rio International Airport.
Riojas said comments from the public, including those collected Wednesday and emailed to the company before Nov. 17, would be considered before recommending a preferred alternative route.
Major projects still remain, though, including a comprehensive environmental survey, acquiring any necessary rights-of-way and submitting a request for a presidential permit.
Riojas said if all those projects go according to plan, detailed designs could be prepared in 2025-2027. If those are approved, construction could begin as early as 2028, he said.
After Riojas finished with his presentation, County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. spoke to the audience.
“My opinion is we have to build a second bridge. I’m throwing that out there just so you know where I stand,” Owens said.
He said he was concerned, though, with the proposed routes after they leave the large tracts of undeveloped land northwest of Del Rio to U.S. Highway 90. Much of the land in those areas has in recent years been developed in a series of homes on tracts of acreage known as the Lake Ridge Ranch estates.
Owens said when the SL79 overpass over Highway 90 was built, the plan was connect the new bridge to Las Brisas Boulevard and from there to the highway.
“But a lot has happened since SL79 was done and today. If you look at the homes that are built, the type of homes that were built, there was a lot that happened that wasn’t planned,” the judge said.
“I believe we need a bridge, but I also believe we need to discuss an alternate route, how to get from the ‘high fence property’ to 90, to SL79,” he added.
Owens said the county commissioners court would meet Tuesday and would have an item on the agenda to call a special meeting or to hold a series of meetings to allow the public to ask county elected leaders questions about the project.
“This is a topic we need to discuss,” Owens said.
The meeting ended after Owens spoke, but after he, Arreola and Riojas left the stage, Arturo Rodriguez, the Republican Party nominee for county judge, who is seeking to unseat Owens in November’s General Election, walked onto the stage and began addressing the crowd.
Arreola and City Manager John Sheedy moved to tell Rodriguez the meeting did not allow for public comment, and when Rodriguez seemed reluctant to give up his place at the microphone, Sheedy waved over two Del Rio Police Department officers.
Rodriguez left the stage without further drama.
—
Contact the author at delriomagnoliafan@gmail.com
Brian
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