PRESIDIO — As cooler temperatures return to the border city, so too could worse traffic conditions at the Presidio port of entry.
From Dia de los Muertos to Thanksgiving, holidays over the next couple months will see Presidio and Ojinaga residents traveling back and forth between the United States and Mexico to visit friends, relatives and ancestors. But that holiday traffic could be even worse this year, thanks to new construction on the port-of-entry bridge.
In an email to a Presidio city official this week, Alejandro Leos, port director of the Presidio port of entry, said construction on the bridge — scheduled to begin yesterday — would lead to a lane closure and “increased daily wait times.”
The construction is scheduled to end around Thanksgiving, though it’s unclear if it will be before or after the holiday. “We will be notifying the brokers and trade community,” he added.
Details on the closure are still unclear. When asked about the closure, Leos directed The Big Bend Sentinel to Customs and Border Protection, which in turn directed us to the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
In a social media post, Presidio Mayor John Ferguson warned the public about the closure and delays.
“Plan ahead, Presidio friends,” he wrote. “Traffic will likely be slowed up a bit as you head to Ojinaga.”
In an interview, Ferguson said there is a multi-agency operation planned to alleviate traffic issues. The Big Bend Sentinel is working to determine more information.