After months – maybe years – of stop and go progress and false alarms, the first train to cross the international bridge at the West Rail Relocation Project may actually roll across the Rio Grande tomorrow.
The West Rail Relocation, in the works for decades involving numerous county administrations, may actually come to fruition Friday.
And Cameron County Judge-appointee Pete Sepulveda will be the beneficiary of the event. It is an open secret that Sepulveda is nurturing dreams of running for the Cameron County Democratic Party nomination for county judge come 2016. Carlos Cascos, his predecessor, was a major force in convincing the Cameron County Commissioners Court to appoint Sepulveda – currently also wearing the hat of Executive Director of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority – to the position he left vacant when he accepted the nomination for Texas Secretary of State under Gov. Greg Abbott.
To residents of the Muralla neighborhood in Brownsville and city motorists, the idea of not having to wait daily for the long freight train to traverse the two at-grade rail crossings to their barrio is a long-awaited event.
"I'll believe it when I see it," said a neighborhood resident. "I don't know how many times Sepulveda has announced the coming of the rail bridge over there. We call him Pete the Baptist because it never seemed to come."
Sepulveda and the commissioners court say that the project will improve safety, travel time and the free flow of legal trade between the U.S. and Mexico benefiting Texas jobs and economic opportunity. Apart from the two crossings affecting La Muralla, 12 other at-grade rail crossings were eliminated in the Brownsville area, some near school zones.
However, there is a caveat.
Friday's train crossing is a dry run. The actual grand opening is not scheduled until later in the month.
"I would like to let you know that the grand opening of the West Rail Relocation Project will be on August 25th or 26th," the county judge's office emailed city, state, and federal officials on both side sof the Rio Grande.
"Once a final date and time is set," the letter states. "I will let you know. High ranking officials from the U.S. and Mexico will be involved in the event as well."
Officials hail it as "the first new international rail bridge built between the United States and Mexico in the past 100 years and a 6 mile rail line on the U.S. side replacing the existing rail connection between Brownsville and Matamoros.
The project prioritizes border security and includes X-Ray scanning machines, known as Vehicle and Cargo Inspection Systems, to scan rail cars for illicit cash, drugs and other contraband."
The entire project’s final price tag exceeded $120 million, with about $75 million coming from Mexico.
4 comments:
After 50 years , finally done!!! Next project : the Weir Dam. Why ? We will have a massive water shortage before we realize it . Water is more valuable than gold !! The politicians still don't get it !!
We will believe it when it happens. No doubt Mayor Tony Martinez will be on hand to accept credit.... even though he had nothing to do with it. Saw him on TV talking about tearing down the old Holiday Inn and the future mall. I think that's the first time Tony has been seen outside his downtown cave.
$120 million ? Check out the cost of the two new massive switch yards built to replace the two old ones removed from downtown. They were also a part of this project for the Union Pacific RR.
Da Mayor and Gachuconsky are planning to buy the real estate for the new mall. Rutile Portfolio will supervise for her usual fees.
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