The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Customs and Border Protection (CBP) broke ground on May 13, 2026, on the $300 million modernization of the Brownsville-Gateway Land Port of Entry in Brownsville, Texas.
The project will renovate the current land port of entry by demolishing existing facilities and expanding key areas. A new 48,000-sq.-ft. administration building will replace the current 22,000-sq.-ft. space, providing an updated facility for federal inspection agencies.
The inspection area will expand to 10 primary inspection lanes and 24 secondary inspection spaces with canopies, up from five lanes and 15 spaces, respectively. The 500-sq.-ft. headhouse will be upgraded to a new 6,000-sq.-ft. building. Additional upgrades include a new 9,000-sq.-ft. outbound inspection area and new parking lots to accommodate staff and visitors.
The new port of entry will be all-electric, meeting the Federal Building Performance Standards, and will feature water-saving fixtures and energy-efficient building systems. These material selections alone will avoid 200 to 300 metric tons of climate-warming carbon emissions that would otherwise be associated with the manufacture of equivalent "industry-average" building materials — this is equivalent to taking about 60 gas-powered cars off the road for a year.
"This investment ensures our officers continue to have the necessary facilities, technology and resources to perform their duties safely, effectively and efficiently," CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said. "We are grateful to our partners for making this possible and look forward to its completion."
This land port of entry is a vital crossing point situated on nine acres in downtown Brownsville. Every month, this facility, which connects to the Gateway International Bridge, handles a significant volume of traffic, including approximately 148,000 passenger vehicles and 157,000 pedestrians in March 2026, alone.
In operation since the 1920s, the land port of entry has seen limited renovations since the 1990s, making this project crucial to update and modernize the facility to enhance security and efficiency.
"Our nation's ports of entry are vital to facilitate trade and travel while protecting against illegal goods and national security threats," U.S. Sen. John Cornyn said. "The modernized Brownsville-Gateway Land Port of Entry will streamline operations and the flow of commerce."
Project completion is scheduled for late 2029.
In late 2024, the GSA announced it has awarded a $263,906,507 design-build contract to Brasfield & Gorrie LLC for the project. The Birmingham, Alabama-based company will provide design-build services for the project.
