City of Eagle Pass Presidential Permit to Expand Camino Real International Bridge Receives Favorable Recommendation from State Department
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2025
The City of Eagle Pass, Texas application for a Presidential Permit Amendment to expand its Camino Real International Bridge from six to 12 lanes has received a favorable foreign policy recommendation from the United States Department of State and has been forwarded to the White House for President Donald J. Trump’s approval, announced Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr.
The favorable recommendation by the Department of State to the White House that the application for a Presidential Permit Amendment be granted and issued allows President Trump up to 60 days to either approve or not take any action on the recommendation. In the event that the White House fails to take any action on the recommendation for the amended Presidential Permit within the 60 days period of review under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023, the Department of State favorable recommendation will be automatically granted, allowing the City of Eagle Pass to obtain the Presidential Permit amendment to proceed with the design and construction of the expansion from six to 12 lanes.
The State of Coahuila is the owner of the Camino Real International Bridge on the Mexican side and is anxiously awaiting for the City of Eagle Pass to obtain the Presidential Permit to expand the bridge from six to 12 lanes to finalize all state and federal permits. The State of Coahuila under Governor Manolo Jimenez Salinas has almost completed the design and construction of the infrastructure and roadways leading up to the Camino Real International Bridge at a cost of tens of millions of dollars.
Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr. stated that he anticipates the City of Eagle Pass Presidential Permit to be granted by the White House on or before mid-June 2025. Upon receipt of the Presidential Permit, the City of Eagle Pass will immediately commence with the realignment and construction of the infrastructure and roadways leading up to the Camino Real International Bridge, namely South Monroe Street and part of Fort Duncan Park.
While the realignment and construction of the Eagle Pass infrastructure is being done, the City of Eagle Pass will request proposals for the design and construction of the expansion of Camino Real International Bridge from six to 12 lanes from qualified companies. The expansion project will build a second bridge tower parallel to Camino Real International Bridge increasing the six lanes to 12 lanes, but will be considered as only one bridge—Camino Real International Bridge. The realignment of the infrastructure and roadways as well as the expansion project is estimated to take the City of Eagle Pass several years to complete.
Mayor Salinas stated that once the Camino Real International Bridge expansion project is complete and open to both regular and commercial motors vehicles will have a transformative effect on both Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras as a major international export and import port of entry between the United States and Mexico. The total volume of export and import trade at the Port of Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras is expected to increase exponentially and cause significant economic development and investment in the community.
Mayor Salinas noted that with the future construction of Loop 480, the expansion of U. S. Highway 57 from double to four lanes, and the construction of U. S. Highway 27 from Laredo, Texas to Canada, known as the Ports-to-Plains Corridor, and Mexico’s modernization of its highway and maritime ports will potentially increase the international trade at the Port of Eagle Pass into the hundreds of billions, generating new jobs and improving the quality of life for all Eagle Passans.
Mayor Salinas and the City of Eagle Pass, together with the State of Coahuila, are counting the 60 day review period by the White House with great optimism and hope that the future of Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras will be totally transformed upon receipt of the Presidential Permit Amendment to expand Camino Real International Bridge from six to 12 lanes.
