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New Mexico Border Authority urges lawmakers to fund Columbus berm and Border Highway Connector as trade at Santa Teresa surges
Summary
The New Mexico Border Authority told the committee Santa Teresa freight value rose sharply and presented a multi‑project plan (water, parking, flood control, border highway connector). It asked for help closing a $9–10M shortfall on a Columbus berm project, stressed urgency to preserve earlier investments and flagged an imminent obligation deadline for a $45M federal tranche.
The New Mexico Border Authority (NMBA) briefed the committee on border trade growth, active infrastructure projects and urgent funding needs to preserve and expand port capacity in southern New Mexico.
Trade and projects: NMBA reported substantial growth in trade value through Santa Teresa between 2023 and 2024 and said Santa Teresa and Columbus are among the fastest‑growing ports of entry in the United States for certain commodities. The authority enumerated ongoing projects: a Columbus facultative wastewater pond (complete and ribbon cutting planned), a multi‑phase Columbus flood control/berm project (phase 1 under construction; phase 2 design complete but with a reported $9–10 million shortfall), a commercial parking lot at Santa Teresa (construction to start), and the Border Highway Connector (phases A–C completed in planning and a $190 million construction estimate once fully executed).
Funding request and urgency: NMBA asked the committee to support multi‑agency collaboration and capital outlay prioritization to fund border projects, including applying to the Water Trust Board and engaging alternative financiers such as the North American Development Bank. Officials warned that without the phase‑2 berm funding, earlier phase investments could be lost to flood damage and that a $45 million federal obligation for the Border Highway Connector required immediate attention to preserve the funding.
Cross‑border and economic context: NMBA described binational coordination with Chihuahua and Ciudad Juárez on parallel investments (San Jeronimo) and noted the region’s opportunity if the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso is taken offline for commercial traffic (planned renovation with full closure timelines starting May 2027 and through 2028), which could divert truck traffic to New Mexico ports. Officials also addressed the cattle import pause tied to a screw‑worm issue and said resumption depends on Mexican federal actions and bilateral coordination.
Water and environmental issues: Lawmakers questioned water availability for development. NMBA said existing groundwater wells and previously secured water rights (historically cited acreage‑foot estimates) can support planned development while the authority explores desalination and brackish aquifer options in coordination with NMSU and El Paso regional partners.
Ending: NMBA asked for continued legislative support and collaboration; committee members expressed strong bipartisan support for advancing the berm funding and preserving federal obligations for the Border Highway Connector. The session recessed for lunch and scheduled follow‑up site tours and community meetings.
