Veteran's International Bridge
Veteran's International Bridge (Puente Internacional Gral. Ignacio Zaragoza) is one of three international bridges that span the Mexico-U.S. border between the cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. It is owned and operated by Cameron County. It is also known as the "Los Tomates" bridge or simply as the "Veteran's" bridge. It is currently the newest of the three international bridges serving the twin cities and it is approximately three miles (5 km) long. Because of its length, very few pedestrians use it.
| Veteran's International Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates |
| Other name(s) | The Veteran's International Bridge at Los Tomates, or locally simply known as the "Los Tomates" or "Veteran's" bridge. |
| Carries | vehicles |
| Crosses | Rio Grande |
| Locale | Brownsville, Texas • Matamoros, Mexico |
| Maintained by | Cameron County, Texas |
| Total length | 1014 ft (309 m) |
| Width | 42 ft (12.8 m) |
| Daily traffic | pedestrian, vehicle and truck traffic; In July 2002 and according to county bridge officials, during the third quarter there were 695,170 crossings -- pedestrian and auto -- at the bridge, producing more than $1.7 million in revenue for Cameron County. |
Contents |
Description
The Veterans International Bridge is a four-lane bridge with 2 pedestrian walkways and a truck lane. The bridge is also known as the Veteran's Bridge or Los Tomates.
Location
This bridge is located in Brownsville, Texas on the United States Side and on the northern terminus of Mexican Federal Highway 77 (Calle US Hwy 77) in Matamoros, Tamaulipas Mexico. It operates 6am-Midnight.
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 U.S. 77/83 Los Tomates Expressway 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 in-bound 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 Highway U.S. 77/83 and is a major transit route for freight bound for areas across the United States.
References
External links
Coordinates: 25°53′1″N 97°28′35″W / 25.88361°N 97.47639°W
| This article about a Mexican building or structure is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v |
| This article about a building or structure in Texas is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • |
| This article about a specific bridge in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v |
Categories: Bridges in Texas | International bridges in Texas | International bridges in Matamoros | Buildings and structures in Brownsville, Texas | Transportation in Brownsville, Texas | Mexican building and structure stubs | Texas building and structure stubs | United States bridge (structure) stubs
|
