City Council holds Economic Development Workshop & Meeting

By: Jose G. Landa, Copyright 2015, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

The Eagle Pass City Council held an Economic Development Workshop and Meeting on Tuesday, April 28, 2015.

Among the items discussed was the need to draft a resolution to the Texas Department of Transportation, Laredo Division, in Laredo, Texas and U.S. State Department designating State Loop 480 as an official truck route.

Eagle Pass Mayor Ramsey English Cantu stated that this request was recently made by Texas Department of Transportation Laredo Division District Director Melissa Montemayor to the City of Eagle Pass. Mayor Cantu stated that the resolution was to formally designate Loop 480 as an official truck route in order for the State of Texas to recognize it as such.

Laredo District Director Melissa Montemayor was present at the City Council Workshop and discussed and explained in detail what the resolution would entail and what consequences, if any, were subject due to the designation of a truck route for Loop 480. “The resolution just shows a consolidated support from the City of Eagle Pass,” said Montemayor.

Montemayor noted that this was the first initial step necessary for the City of Eagle Pass to eventually approve an Ordinance designating Loop 480 as an official truck route .in the process which would emanate into an ordinance by the city.

Montemayor specified via a diagram map of the portion of Loop 480 that is already constructed, established, and being used as a truck route starting at the City of Eagle Pass International Bridge No. 2 and continuing to U.S. Highway 57.

Montemayor noted that “The portion that remains to be constructed is from U.S. Highway 57 to U.S. Highway 277 North.”

Montemayor advised the City Council that the truck route designation would basically direct all truck traffic that has no business going into the City of Eagle Pass to begin using Loop 480 as a designated truck route in the area once it is constructed completely to U.S. Highway 277 North. In other words, trucks just traveling through the City of Eagle Pass to other parts of the State would use Loop 480 as an official truck route to avoid having to come into the City of Eagle Pass. Only trucks that have deliveries, pick-ups, or business in the City of Eagle Pass would travel into the City while all others would use Loop 480 to avoid coming into the City and creating unnecessary truck traffic.

City Council and Montemayor further discussed the designation of Loop 480 as an official truck route and whether said designation might help the City obtain funding from the Texas Department of Transportation to complete the construction of Loop 480 from U.S. Highway 57 to U.S. Highway 277 North.

“The designation doesn’t help it but the fact that perhaps you would have average daily traffic (ADT) increase would. In that respect it could help in the future,” said Montemayor.

“As that project has not been fully completed from U.S. 57 to U.S. 277 North, it can increase the numbers there and encourage the state to possibly fund a large portion of that which is pending to be completed,” said Mayor Cantu.

After concluding the workshop, the City Council unanimously voted in favor of the resolution to be submitted to the Texas Department of Transportation, Laredo Division, and State Department designating State Loop 480 as an official truck route.

Community leaders have previously noted the lack of completion of Loop 480 by the State of Texas has delayed progress and economic development within the region and community. Maverick County Commissioners Court has previously approved a resolution requesting the State of Texas to fund the completion of Loop 480 from U.S. Highway 57 to U.S. Highway 277 North. The completion of Loop 480 is very important to Maverick County, City of Eagle Pass, the State of Texas, and both the national and international transportation industry for the efficient and safe delivery of interstate commerce.

Similarly, on January 6, 2015, the Eagle Pass City Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting that the construction of Loop 480 be finalized to Texas Highway 277 North as well as expansion of Texas Highway 57 and request that it be given utmost priority in this 84th Texas Legislative session by State Representative, District 74, Alfonso “Poncho” Nevarez, and State Senator, District 19, Carlos I. Uresti.