San Antonio Business Journal - November 11, 2008
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Tuesday, November 11, 2008 - 1:42 PM CST | Modified: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - 0:01 AM
NADBank approves $10M loan for border truck crossing
San Antonio Business Journal
The North American Development Bank and the Border Environment Cooperation Commission has certified the planned San Luis Rio Colorado International Crossing II project.

This designation means that the North American Development Bank proceed with financing for the air quality project. A loan for $10.7 million will be provided to the Mexican Ministry of Communication and Transportation. Construction company Concesionaria y Operadora del Puente Internacional Cucapa SA de CV is the contractor.

The international crossing should help improve air quality in the region by reducing traffic congestion at the current crossing. This bridge will be set aside for commercial trucks crossing the border. San Luis Rio Colorado is located in Sonora, Mexico, across the border from San Luis, Ariz.

A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation showed that northbound traffic from Mexico into the United States experiences an average 1.8 hour delay per commercial vehicle. This results in substantial air pollutant emissions from idled diesel engines. In addition, the current border checkpoint is located in the heart of San Luis Rio Colorado’s downtown, which causes a number of cargo trucks to pass through the city and contribute to traffic jams.

The city of San Luis Rio Colorado and Mexican regulators are developing a new commercial port on the eastern end of the city that will include a 1,300-foot vehicle crossing, parking lots and facilities for offices, toll booths and control booths. The project will also entail paving 538,195 square feet of roadways. The port will have an truck anti-idling/electrification stations that will allow drivers to connect their systems to available power outlets and turn off their engines while waiting to be inspected.

Once the new crossing is completed, the existing crossing will be converted into a pedestrian and non-commercial port of entry into the United States. The government will add four new passenger vehicle lanes, giving it 10 lanes. Special lanes will be created for bus, high-occupancy vehicle and recreational vehicle traffic.

The Border Environment Cooperation Commission is an international organization established by the governments of United States and Mexico with the purpose of preserving, protecting and enhancing human health and the environment along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The North American Development Bank is a financial institutions founded and capitalized in equal parts by the United States and Mexico to finance environmental infrastructure projects along the border.




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