The Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates is one of three international bridges that span the

Mexico–United States border The Mexico–United States border ( es, frontera Estados Unidos–México) is an international border separating Mexico and the United States, extending from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Gulf of Mexico in the east. The border traver ...

between the cities of

Brownsville, Texas Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. It ...

, and

Matamoros, Tamaulipas Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern Mexican state of Tamaulipas, and the municipal seat of the homonymous municipality. It is on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from ...

. It is also known as simply as the Veterans Bridge, the Los Tomates Bridge, the Expressway 77 Bridge, the Brownsville Expressway Bridge, and on the Mexico side as the Puente Internacional General

Ignacio Zaragoza Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín (; March 24, 1829September 8, 1862) was a Mexican general and politician. He led the Mexican army of 600 men that defeated 6,500 invading French forces, including the elite French legionnaires at the Battle of Puebla ...

. The bridge is owned and operated by Cameron County. The bridge unites the Matamoros–Brownsville Metropolitan Area, which has a population of 1,136,995, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area on the Mexico-U.S. border.

Description

Opened in 1999, the Veterans International Bridge is presently the newest of the three bridges in the Brownsville area. The roadway consists of four lanes and a truck lane. The bridge also has sidewalks on both sides to accommodate pedestrian traffic. The bridge operates daily from 6 a.m. to midnight. On the Brownsville side, the bridge connects to the southern terminus of I-69E / US 77 / US 83 and the Brownsville – Veterans Port of Entry. On the Matamoros side, it connects to the northern terminus of Fed. 101 / Fed. 180. As of September 2, 2010, the toll for bicycles and pedestrians is ($12 MXN). The toll for cars, pick-up trucks, and motorcycles is ($48 MXN). The toll for trucks begins at ($124 MXN) for those with two-axles. In the

fiscal year A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ...

ending in September 2010, the bridge saw 1,607,271 crossings, approximately double that of the Los Indios Bridge but half of the number at the

Gateway International Bridge Gateway International Bridge is one of three international bridges that cross the U.S.-Mexico border between the cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. It is owned and operated by Cameron County. Over the past century, it ha ...

. This corresponded to a toll revenue in excess of US$6.6 million.

Border crossing

The Brownsville Veterans Port of Entry opened in 1999 with the completion of the Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates. It is the easternmost US-Mexico border crossing, and is by far the newest of the three crossings between Brownsville and Matamoros.

History

A key component of an initiative to construct the new Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates was the careful coordination among U.S. and Mexican local, state, and federal agencies. The Los Tomates Expressway (Interstate 69E/U.S. Highway 77/83) Extension project linking Brownsville, Texas, with Matamoros, Mexico, included new, elevated main lanes; construction of frontage roads; and improvements to the International Boulevard intersection. Other significant aspects of the project were the relocation and construction of a new 47 acre (19-hectare) park and the dedication of a new 175 acre (71-hectare) wildlife preserve. With the completion of the bridge and 10 other projects, international trucking can now bypass the heavily congested downtown corridors of Brownsville and Matamoros.

Design and engineering

Design and Project management were completed by Maverick Engineering, Inc. – Design and project management of the Veterans’ International Bridge inbound traffic lane expansion. The scope of the project included the addition of one auto lane for fast access and several lanes for industrial traffic growth. One of these lanes was for the FAST processing of inbound NAFTA freight. The bridge connects with Interstate 69E/U.S. Highway 77/83 and is a major transit route for freight bound areas across the United States.

References

{{coord, 25, 53, 1, N, 97, 28, 35, W, display=title International bridges in Texas International bridges in Tamaulipas Buildings and structures in Brownsville, Texas Transportation in Brownsville, Texas Monuments and memorials in Texas Road bridges in Texas Bridges completed in 1999 Tolled sections of Interstate Highways Toll bridges in Texas Toll bridges in Mexico Interstate 69 U.S. Route 77 U.S. Route 83 Bridges on the Interstate Highway System Bridges of the United States Numbered Highway System