Pharr bridge crossings and revenues rise in October; truck traffic and toll receipts climb

Pharr International Bridge officials reported a rise in vehicle crossings and revenue for October 2025, telling trustees the port handled 117,682 total crossings — an increase of about 9.96% compared with the same month last fiscal year — and brought in $2,160,583 in toll and related revenues.

Bridge Director Luis Bassan opened the board’s administrative report and summarized the traffic totals: “These totaled 117,682 in October,” he said, and later noted, “This is the first time in about a year now that we break the barrier of the $2,000,000 per month as far as revenues are concerned.” The board’s finance presenter, Eddie Gutierrez of Blue Steel Capital Solutions, corroborated strong receipts and provided a revenue breakdown.

Why it matters: higher crossings and receipts affect the authority’s ability to fund capital work and service debt. Trustees were presented with detailed counts for cars and trucks, regional comparisons with other ports of entry, and a breakdown of truck composition that city and trade stakeholders use to plan lane operations and enforcement.

Officials said southbound car crossings totaled 50,486 in October (about a 2.8% increase year over year) while northbound car crossings totaled 46,414 (roughly 12.7% higher). Southbound truck crossings were reported at 67,196 for the month, an increase of approximately 16.0%. Combined northbound and southbound truck crossings totaled 134,742 — about 10.96% higher than the same month last fiscal year. Bassan also gave an axle-by-axle breakdown for southbound trucks, noting 5-axle vehicles represented roughly 37% of southbound axle crossings that month.

Gutierrez gave the month’s finance details, reporting total revenues in the presentation packet near $2.12 million and describing toll fees as the dominant revenue source (approximately 96% of the package’s reported revenue line). He listed operating expenses for October at about $187,449, with payroll the largest component. Gutierrez said toll collections exceeded budgeted expectations for the start of fiscal 2026 and estimated a year-over-year increase in collections of about 15.7% compared with the same point last year.

Staff also reviewed a ‘southbound recapture rate’ metric — tracking vehicles that cross northbound and are subsequently recaptured southbound — and reported multi-year trends and a modest upward movement into 2026.

Board members asked a few clarifying questions during the presentation but no policy actions were taken on the traffic or finance reports at the meeting. The reports will inform the authority’s planning for lane operations, capital funding and upcoming compliance outreach to trade customers.

For the record: staff provided regional comparisons across multiple ports of entry (Gateway, Veterans/Los Tomates, Los Indios, Brownsville, Del Rio, Donna, Eagle Pass, several El Paso crossings, Laredo, McAllen/Anzalduas, Progreso and Roma) and noted Pharr’s daily averages were up roughly 3% for car traffic and about 16% for truck southbound traffic in October.

Next steps: the board incorporated these traffic and financial figures into its capital and financing discussions later in the meeting.