Proposed truck ban on Bridge of Americas raising concerns for Mexican officials

A proposal banning all commercial vehicles from using the Bridge of Americas is raising concerns for officials in Mexico. 

The  U.S. General Services Administration proposed eliminating all cargo traffic on the Bridge of Americas back in September. The potential ban is part of a $700 million project created to improve infrastructure along the 57-year-old bridge connecting El Paso, Texas to Juarez, Mexico. The improvements would include a new administration building, lanes for pedestrians, and passenger vehicle lanes.

The GSA proposed three options following an environmental impact study regarding the project. One option bans truck traffic during construction, one bans truck traffic permanently, and the third would not ban trucks, but “no modernization would be made to the port.” The GSA says that banning commercial trucks permanently is its preferred option. The project is scheduled to begin in 2026 and last around three years. 

The Bridge of Americas is one of two bridges that carry commercial trucks across the border. Approximately 500 CMVs cross the northbound Bridge of Americas each day, while the Ysleta-Zaragoza International bridge sees around 1,200 commercial trucks per day. The Ysleta-Zaragoza bridge also charges a $9 fee for a vehicle with five axles, and $4.50 for each additional axle. The Bridge of Americas does not charge a toll. 

The El Paso City Council voted unanimously to write the GSA a letter of support for the truck ban in September. Now, the mayor of Juarez says Mexico is sending a letter to the US State Department expressing concerns over the proposed CMV ban at the bridge. 

“We need more bridges, more operating hours and more (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) personnel,” Thor Salayandia, board member of the Mexican Chamber of Industry, said to Border Report. “Ysleta has too much traffic. If they close BOTA, we will have to find (other) ways to send our exports.”