Port of Entry Advisory Committee Meeting, 10/21/2026

The City of Laredo Port of Entry Advisory Committee met on October 21, 2026, to discuss commercial-truck congestion near the World Trade Bridge, bridge operations, and expansion projects. Members considered possible truck staging locations, including a city-owned contaminated parcel. Staff reported that a prior INFRA grant proposal estimated about $14 million to prepare and operate a lot accommodating roughly 207 trucks; the proposal was not feasible because the grant would not allow parking fees to cover ongoing operations and maintenance. The engineering department is developing a traffic-management plan and may present it at the next meeting. No parking-lot contract award or procurement vote was reported.

Staff said the three-hour Saturday World Trade Bridge extension pilot, running September 5 through December 5, had not increased overall crossings so far and was costing the city about $35,000 in lost revenue; they plan to continue monitoring it. Bridge expansion work is proceeding, with World Trade construction still targeted for summer 2027 and inspections and coordination underway for the Colombia bridge expansion. The committee also revisited a previously unfunded northbound weigh-in-motion project estimated at $4.5 million, which received no bids in 2023; staff will discuss potential funding with TxDOT and CBP. No new contracts, awards, or spending approvals were made at this meeting.