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Starting on August 14th, commercial activities will commence at the Tornillo-Guadalupe bridge, which will help reduce the traffic of travelers seeking to cross into the United States in Ciudad Juárez.
The commercial lane that will begin operations at the Guadalupe-Tornillo Bridge will provide transporters with the opportunity to bypass Ciudad Juárez when heading to the United States, state officials and industry representatives assure.
Oscar Ibáñez Hernández, representative of the State Government in Ciudad Juárez, mentioned that starting from August 14th, travelers and transporters using the Pan-American Highway will be able to take the bypass located near Samalayuca to reach the international bridge.
The United States is Chihuahua’s main trading partner.
According to data from the government of Chihuahua, the estimated monthly crossing for the three border crossings in Ciudad Juárez is about 10,000 trailers solely from the maquiladoras in the city of Chihuahua. They expect that this number of trucks will be alleviated by the new Tornillo-Guadalupe bridge.
Chihuahua will experience increased commercial exchange
“The Tornillo bridge will accelerate the flow, thus enabling more efficient and effective trade with our main commercial partner, which is the United States,” mentioned Rosa Isela Molina, the president of Canacintra.
On the other hand, Román Rivas, the current president of Index Chihuahua, shared that the opening of this border crossing is a clear example of coordination between two nations. This highlights that when there is a shared vision of development, barriers tend to fade away.
He also pointed out that a testament to this reality is the action taken by the El Paso Chamber of Commerce in Texas, under the leadership of its president, Andrea Hutchins. She worked on driving various aspects of this extensive project by bringing together key stakeholders from both sides of the border.
In a survey conducted by Norte Digital, a significant percentage of travelers mentioned that this option is a very good alternative. However, they will wait for the final results once it starts operating to decide whether they will use the bridge or not.
A promising future is anticipated for the Tornillo-Guadalupe bridge
“In an initial phase, we could estimate around 250 to 300 crossings per week through Guadalupe-Tornillo solely from the maquiladora companies in Chihuahua. We anticipate this number will increase as the operation of this significant infrastructure becomes more widely known,” commented Manuel Carrasco Estrada, the director of the Index Foreign Trade Committee.
The crossing will be operational from Monday to Friday, from 10:00 AM to 04:00 PM, and aims to become the strategic border crossing for thousands of trucks transporting export products to various regions in Texas and Chihuahua, including from other Mexican states.
Saturdays will be dedicated to structural maintenance tasks to ensure proper functioning throughout the week. “This event represents a significant step towards a promising future in the economic and social realm for Chihuahua and the binational region as a whole,” added Román Rivas.
On their part, the transporters have made it clear that just as the government sought an option to reduce city traffic, they hope that the operation of the crossing will enable them to work more quickly and easily.
“We are aware that one of the issues that has existed for many years is the lack of personnel at customs, both on the Mexican and the U.S. side. So what we are requesting is that they have enough equipment and personnel,” commented the Regional Vice President of Canacar Norte to Transportes y Turismo Magazine.
Do you think that the Tornillo-Guadalupe crossing will lead to a reduction in traffic in Ciudad Juárez?
Sources: Revista Transportes y Turismo, Norte Digital, Juárez Noticias, El Heraldo de Juárez
