Reprint from the Progress Times - April 13, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

Contract For Bridge Construction Awarded

A $28.5 million contract has been awarded to Williams Brothers Construction of Houston to build the U.S. side of the Anzalduas Bridge.

"This is a very good company and their bid was very good," enthused Mission Mayor Beto Salinas, a member of the Anzalduas Bridge Board which is made up of representatives from McAllen and Hidalgo as well as Mission.

Salinas said the bridge board had recommended the contract be awarded to Williams Brothers and the McAllen City Commission agreed.

"The McAllen commission had to approve it because McAllen will be marketing the bonds," the mayor explained.

Salinas said Williams' bid had beaten out three other bids which ranged upward to $43.6 million.

Mexico is expected to award a contract for its portion of the long-anticipated span on May 11.

Current plans tentatively call for the bridge to be completed and open to traffic sometime during the summer of 2009.

Still pending is a diplomatic note between the U.S. and Mexico setting the construction schedule.

Once both the U.S. and Mexico have completed their portions of the bridge, bids will be sought for the center span. Bids on that section will be accepted from Williams and whatever company Mexico selects to build its side of the span.

Reportedly Williams has already made a $571,000 bid for construction of that part of the bridge.

As for the U.S. side of the bridge, plans call for Williams Construction to build 9,200 feet of the four-lane span which will connect with Mexico's portion of the bridge near the middle of the Rio Grande. Farm to Market Road 494 near Granjeno ties into the bridge.

The bridge has been in the works for several years and Mission merchants and officials are looking forward to the expected positive impact the span will have on the area's economy.