Committee hears update on bridge expansion, P3 talks and a $225 million capital need; members urge revisiting 1998 revenue split

City Bridge staff briefed the Port of Entry Advisory Committee on Nov. 17 on the status of the Laredo bridge expansion and an ongoing toll-rate study.

"The anticipated funding needs for capital projects [are] totaling approximately $225,000,000 including a major bridge expansion, toll system modernization, and facility upgrades," the staff said while reading a city manager letter summarizing the study.

Staff also reported the county and a private lead developer (Southwest Bridge) are finalizing partnership agreements and that federal and state discussions with TxDOT and other consultants continue; some negotiation details were withheld as part of executive-session confidentiality. Staff said the environmental assessment for the expansion is about 95% complete.

Several committee members urged revisiting a 1998 resolution that splits net bridge toll revenues 50/50 between the bridge and the general fund. "In 1998 that math was probably right … in today's world, 27 years later, that math is something that we told them we wanna revisit," one member said, urging that the bridge keep a larger share so it can meet operating and debt-service needs.

Committee members also discussed commercial-vehicle impacts and contract timing: staff noted that changes to toll policy can affect carriers who operate under fixed contracts and that contractors may absorb costs until rebid periods.

Next steps: staff will continue negotiations, finalize the environmental assessment, incorporate committee input into the toll-rate study, and provide reports or data requested by the committee. No ordinance or vote was taken at this meeting to change the revenue-split policy.