EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – A federal agency is proposing permanently banning commercial truck traffic from the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, said on Friday.
The General Services Administration’s recommendation comes as the federal government readies a multimillion-dollar overhaul on one of the busiest ports of entry on the U.S.-Mexico border. The agency will open a 45-day public comment period on the proposed redesign of the structure ending Nov. 4, Escobar said.
Public input sought on Border of the Americas expansion project: How to submit a comment
“I know that the announcement of no commercial traffic on the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) as part of the environmental impact statement phase will be great news for some members of our binational community and will be unwelcome news for some members of our binational community,” the congresswoman from El Paso said during an online briefing with reporters.
She was referring to years-long protests by residents of South-Central El Paso concerned about heavy traffic, noise and pollution the truck crossing brings to their neighborhoods.