“The Port of Brownsville is a valuable asset to the Texas economy and a major economic force in the region,” said John Reed, Brownsville Navigation District chairman. (Port of Brownsville photo)

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has awarded the Port of Brownsville a $1.5 million Rider 45 grant to enhance the port's intermodal connectivity, further facilitating domestic and international trade in the Rio Grande Valley.

The state funds will be used for the construction of the South Port Connector Project, which is part of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority's (CCRMA) East Loop Corridor plan. When complete, the port connector road will span 2 mi. and will connect Ostos Road at the port with State Highway 4.

"The Port of Brownsville is a valuable asset to the Texas economy and a major economic force in the region," said John Reed, Brownsville Navigation District chairman. "Infrastructure improvements such as the port connector facilitate our efforts in strengthening the port's position as the main hub for domestic and international trade in South Texas."

The South Port Connector Project is the result of a strategic collaboration between the Port of Brownsville, the CCRMA, and Cameron County — all working in unison — to create positive investment opportunities in the region.

"Cameron County and this administration is committed to working with our partners at the Port of Brownsville to ensure that we continue to build the proper infrastructure to attract industry that will provide jobs and a better quality of life for all," said Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. "I thank the Texas Department of Transportation, the Port of Brownsville, the CCRMA and other partners for working on this request for additional funding for the port connector project. This important project when completed will provide additional access for future development at the port."

The Port of Brownsville has seen an increase in truck traffic in recent years, registering more than 300,000 truck movements in 2017. The port has issued 28,579 truck permits for overweight corridor usage so far in 2018.

The South Port Connector Project will improve traffic accessibility to the Port of Brownsville by providing another entry and exit to and from the port. The project will eventually offer direct access to commercial lanes at the Veterans International Bridge.

CCRMA Chairman Frank Parker Jr. stated, "the CCRMA is glad to be a partner with Cameron County and the Port of Brownsville on this very important infrastructure project. The county, the Port of Brownsville and the CCRMA teamed up to fund the design of the project. This is the first phase of the overweight corridor and we are very excited to close the funding gap. We look forward to getting this project under construction the first quarter of 2019."

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