Pharr’s $120M bridge expansion to double its cargo capacity is set to be completed in January

The $120 million project to double the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge’s capacity has moved off the drawing board and into construction in record time, with work slated to be completed in January.

“This is something physical — it’s no longer just on a piece of paper,” Pharr Bridge Director Luis Bazán said. “It is definitely [under] construction, and the work is already very advanced.”

The project will expand the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge by building another four-lane span right next to the current one. It will stretch the same 1.35-mile distance across the Rio Grande, using land the city already controls, and will connect with matching work underway in Reynosa. 

Once finished, the bridge’s total number of lanes will double from four to eight — a change expected to ease congestion, reduce wait times for commercial carriers, and significantly increase the port’s daily cargo capacity.

Fast-tracked federal approval

Bazán credited the project’s momentum to a streamlined permitting process made possible during President Donald Trump’s first term. 

Trump issued an executive order in 2019 that allowed international bridge permits to be handled directly through the White House instead of the U.S. Department of State.

“We took advantage of that executive order,” Bazán said. “We achieved the presidential permit in three months, when under normal protocols it can take up to five years just to obtain the permit — not counting construction.”

That speed gave Pharr an unprecedented jump-start, allowing the city to move quickly from federal approval to active construction.

“In five to six years we [obtained] the permits, the funding, and construction is scheduled to be completed by January 2026,” he said.

Bazán described the expansion as one of the most strategically important infrastructure projects on the Texas-Mexico border.

Watch a time-lapse video of the ongoing construction.

Trade and revenue continue to climb

Even as construction progresses, the bridge continues to post strong trade performance.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, cargo moving from the United States into Mexico through the Pharr International Bridge rose 17%, meaning more southbound trucks carried goods across the border compared to the previous year. 

Bridge revenues increased about 4.6%, reflecting the higher number of crossings and toll collections. 

Over the same period, the total value of goods moving through the bridge grew more modestly — imports rose 1% and exports 1% — indicating steady trade activity even as traffic volumes climbed.

Cross-border collaboration is key

Bazán emphasized that infrastructure alone doesn’t explain the bridge’s success. 

Strong binational coordination, he said, remains the key driver.

“The most important thing has been having that partnership, that well-established relationship in the United States and in Mexico, with state and federal governments,” Bazán said. “If you don’t have that key element, you can’t do anything.”

He added that careful coordination between long-term planning and available funding has helped Pharr avoid bureaucratic delays.

“You need the funding, you need your strategic plan and master plan well aligned… because if not, everything falls apart or takes much longer,” Bazán said.

One-Stop collaboration model

Pharr’s approach extends beyond the bridge itself. 

The city also launched what it’s dubbing the Pharr Border Business Advancement Initiative, a collaboration among the Pharr International Bridge, Pharr Economic Development Corporation, and Pharr Chamber of Commerce.

The initiative will offer a unified front for logistics and trade support.

“It’s like a one-stop shop where we can offer all the services, all the staff, and the experience to get things done,” Bazán said.

As construction continues on both sides of the Rio Grande, Bazán said the goal remains to maintain momentum and transparency as the project nears completion.

“Always moving forward, always showing the progress so people can see it, so they know it’s coming,” Bazán said, summing up Pharr’s drive to keep trade flowing and the project on track.