AUSTIN — As Texas continues to see a booming economy, TxDOT is working to address congestion at the U.S.-Mexico border to help the flow of goods between the two countries.
“Border crossing volumes for commercial vehicles are forecast to increase significantly between 2019 and 2050, with transportation demand surpassing capacity,” said Caroline Mays, TxDOT’s director of planning and modal programs.
TxDOT says the expected increase highlights the urgent need to improve infrastructure to alleviate congestion at border crossings.
“Border delays are the top-cited issue for stakeholders,” Mays said. “If no operational efficiency and system capacity improvements are made, delays are forecast to grow exponentially.”
In 2019, around five million commercial vehicles crossed the border, a number expected to rise to more than 12 million by 2050. TxDOT emphasizes the importance of preparing now to prevent profit losses to congestion and delays.
The average wait time for commercial vehicles at the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge in 2019 was one hour. Without improvements, this wait time is projected to increase to more than 13 hours by 2050, which could lead to economic losses of $75 billion for the United States and $41 billion for Mexico.
To address these challenges, TxDOT’s Border Transportation Master Plan includes 559 projects with an estimated cost of more than $32 billion. Of these, 185 projects have already been fully funded with more than $5 billion. These projects are expected to reduce border crossing times by 60%.
TxDOT says it remains committed to strengthening the supply chain, reducing congestion, improving safety and contributing to a booming Texas economy.
Source: TxDOT
