The Laredo City Council approved the expansion of the Colombia, NL bridge from 8 to 16 crossing lanes with the aim of reinforcing the port infrastructure so that it is not exceeded by the commercial cargo that will cross in the following years due to ‘nearshoring’.
The expansion of the Bridge will be carried out on both the Mexican and American sides, and it is estimated that it will cost the governments of Nuevo León and Laredo between 180 and 200 million dollars, which will be covered by these localities.
Marco González, secretary of Regional and Agricultural Development and director of the Corporation for the Development of the Nuevo León Border Zone, assures that the expansion of the border bridge comes at a point where nearshoring requires significant efforts.
“As a result of ‘nearshoring’ and the phenomenon that is taking place in Nuevo León, the lawsuit tells us that not only do the companies want to be located in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, but they are also already thinking that they want to be attached to the US, and what better than having a logistics development, where the issue of land is not a problem like Colombia”, he said in an interview for El Financiero.
The initial step for this project to become a reality is the approval that the Laredo City Council voted unanimously. Following this, the formation of a working group will be carried out to trace the route that must be followed. As a third step, the federal governments will be informed that the permits are already in place locally and that the financing is not an impediment to the expansion of the bridge on the border between Mexico and the United States.
Subsequently, it will seek to shorten the time for both environmental and presidential permits to start construction.
If everything goes as planned and the corresponding permits are obtained quickly, construction is expected to begin in approximately two years, according to statements by González.
How is the Colombia Bridge?
Currently, the Colombia-Laredo Bridge registers 5,500 crossings a day, against the 3,400 that were reported at the beginning of the state administration led by the governor of Nuevo León, Samuel García.
It is expected that with the upcoming inauguration of the La Gloria – Colombia Highway, scheduled for the end of this year, by March 2024 this figure will reach a minimum of 8,000 crossings per day in both directions.
Source: El Financiero
