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.