Donna and Pharr Border Crossing Projects Gain Approval through Private-Public Partnership Program

Press Release

U.S. Representative Filemon Vela (D-Brownsville) and U.S. Representative Rubén Hinojosa (D-McAllen) joined the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to announce approval of border crossing projects in Donna and Pharr, Texas. The two South Texas projects were among three proposals nationwide selected by DHS under the Donations Acceptance Program, an initiative to explore and facilitate public-private partnerships for port of entry infrastructure and technology improvements.

The Donna and Pharr projects were selected during Phase I of the donation process, and DHS will work collaboratively with the local communities to establish a budget and schedule for the projects during Phase II. During the third and final stage of the process, the government enters into formal agreements to accept the donated property.

"Today's announcement by the DHS reflects the strength of the proposals submitted by the City of Donna and the City of Pharr. Countless hours of work and significant investments made these projects possible, and I applaud the vision and foresight of our local leaders to transform this bold idea into reality. Infrastructure investments in our border communities will lead to long-term economic growth locally and nationwide while improving the quality of life for South Texas families," U.S. Rep. Vela said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in conjunction with the General Services Administration (GSA), is permitted to accept donations from local communities pursuant to Section 559 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2014. Under Section 559, 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.

The City of Donna proposed constructing and implementing new inspection facilities and technologies to facilitate inspections of empty commercial vehicles bound for the U.S. from Mexico at the Donna-Rio Bravo Land Port of Entry (LPOE). The Donna project complements an initiative currently in the DHS approval process, which would provide facilities to inspect empty commercial vehicles leaving the U.S. for Mexico. Final approval of the southbound corridor is expected in the near future, and construction could be completed allowing the flow of empty trucks to begin by the end of 2016. The City of Donna also has long-term plans to construct a border crossing with full cargo-inspection capabilities.

The City of Pharr proposed multiple improvements including constructing a new cold inspection facility, a new agricultural inspection training and development facility, and expanding secondary inspection dock space at the Pharr Land Port of Entry (LPOE).

"I am very pleased that the Donna-Rio Bravo and Pharr ports-of-entry remain eligible under the federal government's Donations Acceptance Program, which strengthens the existing public-private partnerships between CBP, GSA, and our municipal partners. Direct community investments in our bridges are essential toward ensuring commercial and passenger traffic can move safely, quickly and efficiently across our border. I look forward to the collaborative development and expansion of our port-of-entry infrastructure facilities. Improvements will increase the flow of goods between Mexico and the United States and better serve the Rio Grande Valley and residents along the entire Interstate-69 corridor," said U.S. Rep. Hinojosa.

"The City of Donna is honored to have been selected as one of the 559 proposals to further plan and develop the Northbound Empties Commercial Traffic at Donna-Rio Bravo International Bridge. We applaud the process utilized by CBP and all of the other government agencies for their dedication and hard work," said Donna Mayor Pro-Tem Sonia Gallegos.

"The City has worked extremely close with the Mexican government agencies and we thank them for helping us get to this point in the process. The commercial traffic will help foster economic development and create much-needed jobs in our community. It has been a long road for our community and to finally get this accomplished is a testament to our dedication to our citizens," said Donna Mayor Irene Munoz.

"Innovative collaborations with our federal partners allow us to leverage resources and develop mutually-beneficial solutions that address our respective needs and increase efficiency at our international port of entry. We are grateful for CBP's continued support in this partnership that will have a direct economic impact in our area through improved infrastructure, reduced wait times, and expanded services," said Pharr Mayor Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez.

"The City would like to thank Congressman Vela for his unwavering support and for providing us guidance throughout the entire process. Without the Congressman's assistance and his staff, the process to finally get approval of the northbound empty trucks would probably not have happened. The Congressman also assisted the City in the approval of last year's 559 application for southbound empty commercial traffic. It has been a great team effort and quite an accomplishment for the City of Donna. We are indebted to the Congressman," said Ernesto Silva, Bridge Consultant for Donna.

"I would also like to thank Congressman Ruben Hinojosa for not giving up on a project that had been in the plans since 1950s and which received a Presidential Permit in 1979. As a matter of fact, it was Congressman Hinojosa, through the assistance of Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutiérrez we received approval from U.S Customs for construction of the Donna-Rio Bravo International Bridge to begin. Many people don't realize that up until that point the bridge project was not authorized and was in the process of being cancelled. To our retiring Congressman, thank you. The Donna-Rio Bravo International Bridge will be known as part of his legacy," Silva said.

"The future looks bright for Pharr," said Director of the Pharr International Bridge Luis Bazan. "By following CBP's 559 processes and master planning for true cross-border trade, we will augment the current infrastructure inside the Pharr Port of Entry to continue on the right path for international trade by increasing our capacity, eliminating unnecessary steps, increasing commercial truck throughput and reducing border wait times to give our importers and exporters the advantages they need to stay competitive in an ever-growing global market."

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