Last month, construction for a temporary roadway was completed at the World Trade Bridge (WTB) at the Laredo Port of Entry (LPOE). The City of Laredo entered into a small scale donation agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Donations Acceptance Program (DAP) and the General Services Administration (GSA). The donation of the roadway will alleviate congestion caused by an increase in traffic flow through the WTB. CBP has consistently seen an increase in northbound cargo goods by 3%-5% yearly. This temporary roadway donation will assist in the processing of northbound FAST empty trucks and decrease wait times at the cargo facility. Approximately 500 empty trailers are processed daily and the hours of operation for this temporary roadway will be Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We are excited to see these much needed improvements to the World Trade Bridge and the facilitation measures to the newly implemented empty FAST lane,” said Director of Field Operations David P. Higgerson, Laredo Field Office. “The ever-growing traffic volumes have far exceeded the limits of the present facilities and we will work hand in glove with our stakeholders at the federal, state and local levels to assist with improvements that will facilitate traffic at the busiest cargo facility in the southwest border.”
“The upkeep and constant development of our bridges will ensure that Port Laredo remains competitive and continues as the Port of choice for the trade industry. These improvements serve as vital assets to not only Laredo, but the entire U.S. economy,” said Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz. “We are proud to see this new roadway completed and grateful of the partnerships that lead to its completion. Indeed, partnerships do create border infrastructure which facilitate trade mobilization and connectivity.”
Small scale partnerships with local community stakeholders assist in improving low cost/time enhancements at ports of entry which have a high impact on the productivity of the border crossing. With an estimated value of $40,000, this project construction was completed in a week and a half and promotes faster processing, thus increasing the flow of traffic. This donation occurred through the use of the CBP Donations Acceptance Program. Pursuant to 6 U.S.C. § 301a, and more generally, the Homeland Security Act of 2002, 6 U.S.C. §§ 112 et seq., as amended, CBP and GSA are authorized to accept donations of real property, personal property (including monetary donations) and non-personal services from private sector and government entities. Accepted donations may be used for port of entry construction, alterations, operations, and maintenance activities.
Public-private partnerships are a key component of CBP’s Resource Optimization Strategy and allow CBP to provide new or expanded services and infrastructure at domestic ports of entry. For more information, visit www.cbp.gov/DAP.
