Proposal includes ban on commercial vehicle traffic at Texas border crossing

The elimination of commercial vehicle traffic is among the proposals under consideration for the overhaul of a United States-Mexico border crossing.

On Friday, Sept. 20, the U.S. General Services Administration released a draft of its Environmental Impact Statement for the “modernization project” at the Bridge of the Americas Land Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas. Currently, this bridge connecting the central portions of El Paso and Juarez, Mexico handles commercial, passenger vehicle and pedestrian border traffic.

According to the agency, the document “examines the potential social, economic and environmental impacts” of three suggested alternatives chosen from a larger list:

• Alternative 1A– Multilevel modernization accommodating pedestrian, non-commercial vehicle and commercial cargo traffic. The majority of the work would be conducted within existing port boundaries with minor land acquisition adjacent to the port and to the east. This alternative includes the flexibility to eliminate northbound and southbound commercial cargo traffic in the future.
• Alternative 4– Multilevel modernization accommodating pedestrian and non-commercial vehicle traffic with the elimination of northbound and southbound commercial cargo traffic. The majority of the work would be conducted within existing port boundaries with minor land acquisition adjacent to the port.
• No Action– No modernization would be made to the port.

In its statement, the agency noted Alternative 4 as the “preferred alternative,” saying this proposal would “best meet the requirements of the federal government while addressing the social, economic and environmental impacts of the project.” If approved, it would result in the elimination of commercial vehicle traffic going both north and south along the bridge.

During an online briefing, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, emphasized that the release of the draft is “not the end of the process” but rather the “start of a new phase” when it comes to the modernization project. A 45-day comment period is now open for the public to offer feedback on the three remaining alternatives. That comment period will close Nov. 4.

The start of the project currently is planned for late 2026. During the construction period – an estimated three years – commercial traffic will be halted at the Bridge of the Americas. Escobar said that window will give the state a glimpse of what a complete ban would look like.

“If commercial traffic goes away for three years, anyway, wouldn’t it make sense to begin thinking about the permanent elimination in order to make sure the bridge is constructed in the most efficient way?” she asked.

Escobar also noted that a halt to commercial vehicles crossing the bridge would not have a detrimental impact, citing data from the Texas Department of Transportation that shows truck traffic at the border crossing has declined in recent years.

“We would not have supported the removal of commercial traffic – not from my perspective – if the other ports of entry in the region could not absorb commercial traffic that will no longer go thought the Bridge of the Americas,” she said.

As far as where all that commercial traffic will go, other nearby border crossings include the Ysleta-Zaragoza International Bridge in El Paso, the Marcelino Serna Port of Entry in Tornillo, Texas, and Santa Teresa, N.M., roughly 18 miles across the state line. LL