EAST LOOP REMAINS A PIPE DREAM WHILE SPACEX GETS ROAD

By Juan Montoya

In 1993, then-Republican Cameron County Judge Tony Garza and an unlikely majority consisting of the the four Democrat commissioners joined to get Project Road Map passed by the county's voters.

Project Road Map was a bond issue that included numerous projects, many since completed, that addressed transportation and drainage needs in the county, including some far-reaching projects such as the widening of Southmost Road in Precinct 1 and many other projects in the northern precincts.

After campaigning on behalf of the projects, the court saw the Project road Map successfully approved by a two thirds majority vote on August 14, 1993.

That group included Democrats Lucino Rosenbaum (Pct. 1), Carlos Cascos (Pct. 2), James Matz (Pct. 3), and Tivie Valencia (Pct. 4).

The commissioners court used the Texas Department of Transportation's Pass Through Financing Program program that would see only one-third of the cost paid by the county. The rest would be paid by the state as the projects came online.

Among those projects was construction of the East Loop that would reroute truck and hazardous material traffic from Veterans Memorial Bridge at Los Tomates outside the eastern boundaries of the city and to the Port of Brownsville.

That was in 1993, some 17 years ago.

Somehow, the East Loop was shunted to the side and projects like the Free Trade Bridge a Los Indios benefiting Harlingen and San Benito took precedence over the Brownsville project.

Since then, the Brownsville community along Highway 48 and International Blvd. have had to endure the daily traffic of 18-wheeler trucks carrying steel, oil, fuel, and innumerable hazardous materials through the heart of downtown Brownsville.

Neighborhoods, schools, churches, residences and housing projects line the route before trucks heading to Mexico turn left on US 77-83 (I 69-E) at old Lincoln Park and head to Los Tomates.

Now instead of starting from that international bridge and making its way to the port, the Port of Brownsville is announcing that it will begin construction has announced the construction of  the South Port Connector Road, which, eventually, will form the northern end of the planned East Loop.

The South Port Connector Road, according to the port, is "a critical project aimed at improving urban traffic and access to the Port of Brownsville."

In its announcement, it states that the $25.6 million project was made possible by a partnership of the Brownsville Navigation District (BND), Cameron County, the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority (CCRMA), the Rio Grande Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (RGVMPO) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

The port connector is the first phase of CCRMA’s larger State Highway 32 construction project. According to the CCRMA "the Port of Brownsville exports and imports over 6.3 million metric tons of steel, petroleum, machinery ores and other international trade exports to our Mexico partners. The East Loop project will also serve as the overweight corridor that runs currently within the City of Brownsville."

Was it the removal of hazardous materials through the city neighborhoods that drove the port to this munificent project? Not really, according to their own words.

“The Port of Brownsville’s steady growth in cargo movement and overall activity makes the south port connector road critical to the region’s future success in domestic and international trade,” said John Reed, BND Chairman. “The excellent partnership forged with Cameron County, the CCRMA, RGVMPO and TxDOT contributes greatly to the success of this project.”

"The 1.9-mile long port connector road will connect Ostos Road inside the port with State Highway 4, providing another entry and exit to and from the port and convenient access to commercial lanes at Veterans International Bridge. It also facilitates the flow of cargo and other goods related to the space industry from the port docks to the neighboring SpaceX facility at Boca Chica."

In reality, Reed – who is running for reelection and has now become the spokesman for anything having to do with the port – knows the connector road is not a daring move by the port to remove the danger from Brownsville neighborhoods. The little crumb thrown to Brownsville residents about "convenient access to commercial lanes at Veterans International Bridge" (eventually) is just a smoke screen. Can you imagine heavy traffic moving down the connector road onto Boca Chica, west to the Four Corners and then left On International to International and then to Los Tomates. Why would they?

And if they did, is Boca Chica ready to receive the heavy trucks and traffic rumbling past El Jardin Elementary, Reid-Hope King subdivision, the airport, and the residential areas?

It is really a special thoroughfare to satisfy the needs of SpaceX to move its materials and supplies to the Boca Chica site, isn't it?

In April 2019, the South Port Connector Road received environmental clearance from TxDOT, advancing the project to its construction phase. The projected date of completion is late 2021.

How long before the East Loop becomes a reality? If 1.9 miles of connector is going to cost $25.6 million, what will it take – and how long before it becomes a reality? – for the construction of the other 10 miles to Los Tomates? Will it be 10 times as much and another 17 years?

Gee. Elon Musk just got here yesterday and had a road built for his SpaceX while Brownsville residents have been enduring the heavy truck traffic loaded with overweight cargoes of hazardous  materials rumbling though their neighborhoods for decades without a sliver of hope for the East Loop completion.