At first, some in the business community thought the bridge would divert traffic and income away from Laredo. But state Rep. Henry Cuellar, an associate in the customs brokerage firm of J.O. Alvarez, said the road is important for the trade and transportation business. Most of these trucks are just passing through. If we don't give them efficient ways to cross the border here, they will go to another port of entry. Other institutional critics also have come to embrace the toll road.
Business decides where it wants to be.
The challenge for us now is how we manage the growth that's obviously going to happen because of this new road. Benavides is negotiating with the state of Nuevo Leon to build a rail link across the bridge and along the highway. And the Border Patrol is working to ensure it will have a presence along the route. Benavides at first argued that a Border Patrol presence would harm the speed and efficiency that the toll road offers. However, Laredo Border Patrol Sector Chief John Montoya said an agreement had been reached Tuesday to position a mobile inspection unit near the bridge as a temporary solution.