Pharr Bridge has seen amazing growth since it opened in 1995

It was during an early cold morning in January 1995 back before the sun had even risen when city of Pharr officials and other local dignitaries huddled together outside trying to stay warm, met at the newly constructed Pharr/Reynosa International Bridge to officially commemorate the completion of what had proven to be a long process of bringing an international bridge to the Hub City (Pharr).

To get it built was no easy matter, despite the City of Pharr’s Presidential Permit application gaining approval in late December 1978. Two countries, the U.S. and Mexico, had to get their ducks in a row to get the deal done, and cutting through that much bureaucratic red tape was more than a little time consuming to say the least.

Bonds had to be issued, and then came news that an environmental study must be completed, which only served to extend the construction process.

That environmental study also lengthened the bridge span. That is one reason why there is such a long-elevated roadway leading up to the actual bridge – so wildlife such as ocelots that traverse the river’s edge wouldn’t be affected by the bridge once it was constructed. That increased road span added both time and money to the bridge project. The U.S. Coast Guard bridge permit (don’t ask) was finally approved Dec. 10, 1991, and final bridge construction began.

The Pharr/Reynosa International Bridge was completed in November 1994 and finally opened to traffic in the cold early morning hours of Jan. 10, 1995. City and local big wigs were all gathered for the photo shoot as the driver of the first car crossing the new span placed money in the hands of one of the city’s new toll collectors. Victor Garcia, RIP, was mayor at the time, and he looked like a guy who had just won the lottery, beaming from ear to ear, with old-timers like Pepe Salinas, Jim Brewster, A.C. Jaime, and “Cuate” Barrera standing beside him.

Trouble was, the bridge wasn’t a proven money maker initially. In fact, there was some backlash against some city officials – had they made the right decision sticking Pharr’s neck out that far, pardon the pun, using ad valorem taxes to secure the bond ($18 million at the time) repayments if the bridge revenues didn’t pan out as expected?

For at least a year or two after the bridge opened, nerves around city hall continued to fray. Acid indigestion/reflux was a common complaint among elected officials. Fingers were starting to be pointed – whose idea was it to build a bridge in the first place?

“Not mine.” “Was, too.” Then, thanks to a story too long and convoluted to tell in such a short space, Pharr gained exclusive rights to all commercial truck crossings moving from south to north into Hidalgo County, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Fast forward almost 28 years from the day it opened, and the Pharr Bridge is now ranked number one in the nation for the importation of fresh produce from Mexico, which includes an amazing 65 percent of the total haul when all the numbers are tallied.

Last Thursday, the city of Pharr and its international bridge held its annual kickoff to the produce season, which has gotten bigger and better each year, not counting the 2020 COVID meltdown.

These days, it’s impossible to find anyone around who still thinks that the bridge’s planned development, dating back to the mid-1970s, and construction, late 1980s and early 1990s, was a bad move on the part of city leaders at the time. Not with the level of success the Pharr Bridge has seen in recent years.

Since the bridge makes its direct revenue (bridge tolls) based on southbound traffic, one of the numbers being talked about last Thursday, besides the increase in fresh produce moving north, was the increased number of exports, mainly energy related, headed south: an approximate 44 percent increase since 2020.

As is the case every October, save 2020, thanks to the pandemic, the Pharr Bridge hosts a kickoff to the produce season. People come from all over the RGV and Mexico to help celebrate what has truly become a remarkable story. This year was no different.

According to Pharr Bridge Director Luis Bazan, the commercial crossings have seen a 17.1 percent increase in imports since 2020, facilitating increased commercial growth on the north side of the river in close proximity to the bridge. 

Pharr Mayor Ambrosio “Amos” Hernandez said last Thursday at the annual produce event that indeed the present is seeing an uptrend in border trade, but the future of the Pharr/Reynosa International Bridge also looks promising, thanks to its planned expansion, which includes a second adjacent twin structure that will consist of a 1.35-milelong structure built upriver on the west side of the existing bridge, built within the city of Pharr-owned right-of-way.

Construction will include four 12-foot travel lanes with a six-foot sidewalk on the west side with features that would include two crossovers, additional lighting and electronic signage that would facilitate the flow of traffic, reduce wait times and enhance safety.

Speaking to the gathered crowd last Thursday, Hernandez said, “We knew you guys needed another bridge, and we’re fully funded, ready to go. The supply chain has slowed everybody down around the world, so we are not any different. Obviously, we are delayed a few months, but we’re going to get it (done). We are ready to go, and there is no doubt (that it) is going to happen.”

From that cold early morning beginning in January 1995 to today when Pharr can boast of being this nation’s No.1 port of entry into the U.S. for the transport of fresh produce imported from Mexico, what a long, successful trip this has been.