So, thank you all. Your presence, obviously, should tell the entire community how important this expansion of this bridge is to our region and to our state.
This is just the next phase of our plans for this bridge. We anticipate construction of cargo in 2021, which is very, very exciting. And it has all to do with these gentlemen and ladies that are here that are helping us from the state and federal level.
I want to thank the mayor for his tenacity on this bridge. He is relentless, he really, really is. It is something that he has been really focused on. Congratulations, mayor. And I want to thank the city commission because it takes a lot of courage to do projects in the magnitude that McAllen does, including this project, that includes partners from Hidalgo, Mission and Granjeno. Like Mayor O’Cana said, together there is just nothing we can’t do. And this bridge is certainly a symbol of what can be done.
Carlos Rodriguez, thank you, sir. You do an outstanding job, partnering with us and I am happy to not only call you my colleague but my friend.
These lanes will allow us to increase the volume of the traffic and to shorten lines in peak seasons. You know we focus so much on everyday life here in our region and it includes Mexico. Mexico is us and we are Mexico. And so I could not be happier today to have the ribbon cutting for these two lanes. These two lanes will have a tremendous impact on our ability to move traffic back and forth.
Even in light of what we are dealing with today, we know that there will be an end to that and when there is, this bridge is going to show the life and the love that we have between our two countries.
Editor’s Note: The above commentary was given by McAllen City Manager Roy Rodriguez at a recent ribbon-cutting ceremony at Anzalduas International Bridge in Mission. The ceremony was held to celebrate two new northbound lanes at the bridge. The project cost $2.8 million. Among the VIPs to speak at the ceremony, in addition to Rodriguez, were McAllen Mayor Jim Darling, Mission Mayor Armando O’Caña, Hidalgo Mayor Sergio Coronado, state Sen. Juan Hinojosa, state Rep. Sergio Muñoz, and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar. McAllen Superintendent of Bridges Juan Olaguibel was emcee.
