The Anzalduas Bridge is two years behind on its commercial opening — but investors are already capitalizing on its potential

While millions of passenger vehicles cross the Anzalduas International Bridge each year, the crossing still lacks its federal cargo inspection facility, now two years behind schedule and unlikely to open before spring 2026.

Teclo Garcia, the CEO of the Mission Economic Development Corporation (Mission EDC), said he recently learned of the latest delay in the commercial opening of the bridge’s cargo facilities.

“The facilities are about 95 percent complete,” Garcia said. “(U.S. Customs and Border Protection) has specialized machinery and X-ray equipment they need to get here, and then get personnel trained on it, and that’s what’s taking up time.”

The future inspection facility is key to gaining profitable truck traffic.

Since opening in 2009, the bridge has accommodated passenger vehicles in both directions and handled empty southbound trucks.

Once open, a Unified Cargo Processing (UCP) center for northbound traffic will streamline inspections, allowing a one-stop process by USCBP and Mexican customs officers. The UCP also removes the need to build inspection centers on both sides of the bridge.

Investors push ahead

One large investor near the Anzalduas complex remains unfazed by the delay.

Luis Rodrigo Castillo of Mission-based Union Design Developers (UDD) told the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal he is moving forward with his $50 million industrial park located just one mile from the bridge.

“Uncertainty is the new certainty,” Castillo said with a chuckle. “But there is not a loss of interest in our park. The companies are simply taking a different approach.”

Castillo has seen interest from companies in Mexico and the U.S.

“The inspection facility delay only means they are not ready to move in today,” Castillo said. “Whether we like it or not, this delay is a matter of circumstances, everything happens for a reason, and it’s been of benefit to us. We have more time to gain the last few approvals we need, and we haven’t slowed down at all.”

Castillo said the delay doesn’t necessarily mean that companies can take their time in choosing their spot for a future warehouse that will likely store dry goods like electronics and auto parts.

“The moment we know someone wants to enter the market, it’s too late, someone is already there,” Castillo said. “This whole bridge area is right on the brink of taking off, and they know it. This time is being used to make sure our ducks are in order because we’re talking about institutional investors and large multi-nationals that want to expand.”

Castillo said non-disclosure agreements prevent him from naming a New York company exploring UDD’s park for a data center.

“We’re in ongoing talks,” he said. “The railway easements are important to them. That’s really all I can say right now.”

Phase I of UDD’s industrial park awaits final approvals for a detention pond. Permits for construction typically take 18 months, Castillo said.

“We hope to be completely up around the end of 2026, which will align with the new inspection facility,” he said.

Mission’s role in development

The cities of Mission, McAllen and Hidalgo jointly own the Anzalduas Bridge, and the Mission EDC plays a special role in its success because the bridge sits entirely on Mission property.

“Right now, we’ve got about 500 empty trucks a month using the Anzalduas Bridge to head south into Mexico,” Garcia said. “It’s a significant number, but it’s still low, and once the inspection facility is open, we’d like to see that increase to at least 3,000 trucks per week.”

According to Garcia, Killam Development of Laredo owns several thousand acres across three tiers: residential, commercial and/or retail and industrial.

The City of Mission approved final plats in August for Killam’s El Milagro Subdivision, a 176-acre development slated for 900 single-family homes and condominiums. The residential area is designed to be walkable, with retail and coffee shops nearby.

“Those are rooftops,” Garcia said, which translates into property tax revenue for Mission. “Rooftops mean people live, work and play in that area, and that’s a positive for the city. It’s a long time coming.”

Garcia said some tax increment reinvestment zone funds were used to construct roads, drainage features, and sewer services for the area, but he has managed to proceed without any other incentive agreements.

“This has been done without tax abatements. No one has asked for anything,” Garcia said. “That’s another sign that people are waiting on this bridge and see it as an alternative to Laredo.”

Outlook for trade and industry

Garcia believes the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are not a hindrance.

“Some investors are actually okay with the tariffs, as long as they know what they are,” he said. “It’s the uncertainty that bothers them. If they know how much the tariff is and that it’s steady, they can plan for that. And the companies are telling us it’s going to take one to two years to build their facility, so if the bridge inspection comes online next year, that’s okay with them.”

UDD’s industrial park will ultimately deliver more than 6 million square feet of industrial space, with nearly half dedicated to warehousing.

Castillo, a Mission native, said investing in the area where his family has owned land for years was a no-brainer.

“We started acquiring more land there because we could see the expansion coming,” he said. “No one wants to go through Reynosa unless they have to, and everyone who manufactures in Monterrey wants to come through Anzalduas. Laredo is so crowded.”