Background

Because of its geographic location San Luis Río Colorado is an important port of entry for the transportation of merchandise to all the major regional commercial centers in both countries, averaging 1,641 vehicles crossings a day at San Luis Río Colorado International Bridge I in 2008. However, passenger and commercial vehicles entering the U.S. from Mexico were delayed at the border crossing because the existing infrastructure and facilities were inadequate to handle this high volume of traffic. Northbound traffic averaged a 1.8- hour delay per commercial vehicle, resulting in substantial air pollutant emissions from idling diesel engines. Since the port is located in the heart of the downtown area and commercial vehicles must cross though this densely-populated city to access the port, residents were constantly exposed to high concentrations of these harmful emissions. In addition, commercial vehicles contributed to heavy congestion and frequent traffic jams along the city’s main roads.

To remedy this situation, the Mexican Ministry of Communication and Transportation (SCT) bid out a concession to build, operate and maintain a second border crossing in San Luis Rio Colorado for the exclusive use of commercial vehicles. In November 2007, the concession was awarded to the company, Concesionaria y Operadora del Puente Internacional Cucapá for a period of 30 years.

Project Scope

The main components of the new commercial port consisted of constructing a 400-meter (1,300-ft) crossing for commercial vehicles located outside the urban area on Mexican federal highway, MEX 2 Sonoyta-San Luis Río Colorado, along with the corresponding port facilities, including offices, platforms, toll booths and control booths, as well as a truck anti-idling/electrification station (TAS), to allow trucks to connect their systems to available power outlets and turn off their engines while waiting to pass through to the inspection area. The project also included paving approximately 50,000 m² (538,195 ft²) of roadways to control traffic flows for the new crossing.

Benefits

Relocating the commercial port of entry outside the downtown area is helping remove a source of pollution generated by idling diesel trucks in densely-populated areas of San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora and San Luis, Arizona. Using the most modern and efficient processing systems for border crossings is expediting commercial traffic flows at the new crossing, thus reducing idling times, fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. In addition, traffic congestion and idling times for passenger vehicles at the current crossing has been reduced, thereby further reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.