Nuevo León invests in 3 new bridges to boost trade via Laredo

Nuevo León Governor Samuel García confirmed on Friday plans for potentially three new bridges connecting his northern state to Texas, aiming to speed up trade and facilitate cross-border commuting. 

Following a working visit to the southern United States, García announced the construction of two new bridges at the Colombia-Laredo Port of Entry and reiterated plans to expand state Highway 1 North, connecting the Salinas Victoria industrial zone with the border municipalities of Anáhuac and Nuevo Laredo. 

With a US $200 million binational investment of equal parts from Mexico and the U.S., the aim is to construct two new international bridges at the Colombia-Laredo crossing to expand its operational capacity and facilitate trade. Construction is expected to commence in May 2027 and be completed in 2028. 

“I confirm the hypothesis we envisioned five years ago: the Texas-Nuevo León Golden Triangle is the most prosperous region in the world,” García said during a ceremony. “For Nuevo León, it’s crucial to have the infrastructure ready to be part of this triangle and be connected with Dallas, Houston, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Austin, San Antonio and Laredo,” García stressed. 

García said that the recent modernization of the Colombia-Laredo trade port has already doubled the number of cargo lanes from 7 to 14, helping to raise crossings from 80 to 8,000 per day, a figure that he expects to increase to 15,000 by 2030. 

In addition, a new viaduct will provide direct connectivity between Salinas Victoria and Laredo, Texas (via Anáhuac), running parallel to Highway 1 North as part of a larger project with the Texas-based startup Green Corridors.

The project, requiring $17 billion in investment, is being developed as a public-private partnership with the Nuevo León government providing the right-of-way. However, it is not expected to reach completion until 2031.

During the event, García also announced the development of a tax-free industrial park in the municipality of Anáhuac, as part of the federal government’s overarching Plan Mexico economic strategy. The state aims to attract investment in manufacturing, assembly and logistics by offering federal, state and municipal tax incentives, including exemptions on income tax (ISR), payroll tax and property tax.

“We are creating a tax haven,” García said.

If all four infrastructure projects move forward as planned, the Colombia-Laredo area will end up with a total of four crossings: the current bridge, the two new bridges to be built next year and the Green Corridors viaduct linking northern Nuevo León and Tamaulipas with Laredo.

With reports from Reporte Indigo, Rio South Texas, Mexico Industry and El Universal