Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: As I-35 traffic worsens, SH 130 courts cross-border trucks; Nestlé Purina plans $100M factory expansion in Guanajuato; and Ryder adds major warehouse, yard capacity in northern Mexico.
As I-35 traffic worsens, SH 130 courts cross-border trucks
As congestion worsens along Interstate 35 and cross-border trade with Mexico continues to expand, SH 130 Concession Co. is intensifying efforts to attract more commercial trucks onto its 41-mile tolled stretch of State Highway 130 between Austin and San Antonio.
Company executives say SH 130 is increasingly positioned as a freight reliever to I-35, one of the most congested highway corridors in Texas, offering truckers more reliable travel times, safety advantages and new infrastructure aimed specifically at long-haul and cross-border carriers.
“SH 130 serves as a freight corridor and a reliever to I-35,” Ananth Prasad, CEO of SH 130 Concession Co., said in an interview with FreightWaves. “As construction activity on I-35 continues for years to come, having a parallel, congestion-free facility becomes even more important for trucks moving through Central Texas.”
Truck volumes already rising
Truck traffic on SH 130 has already been climbing sharply. More than 3 million commercial trucks used the toll road in 2022, up 26% year over year, with tractor-trailer traffic increasing 68% since 2019, according to prior company data…