Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) –Lawmakers in NM are hoping our state can benefit from the future closure of the Bridge of the Americas at the southern border. The federal government is planning to close the bridge to commercial vehicles with a planned overhaul beginning in early 2028. A memo from the General Services Administration says all commercial cargo operations at the port will be eliminated. The Bridge of the Americas, a little over a mile long, currently handles tens of thousands of daily crossings. In anticipation of the closure the NM legislature passed a department of transportation bonding bill that will fund a new highway near the Santa Teresa border driving economic activity and opportunities into New Mexico. In a statement given to KRQE, NMDOT’s spokesperson said, “New Mexico Department of Transportation is aware of discussions regarding the Bridge of the Americas closure and the associated potential for increased commercial truck traffic through southern New Mexico.” Senator Moe Maestas said, “Those trucks can go over any of the bridges available to them but if we could capture 80-percent of the Bridge of the Americas truck traffic that would be tremendous.”
