Eagle Pass City Council Approves International Bridge Vehicle Toll Fare Up to $6, Highest Rate on Texas-Mexico Border
By: Victoria Martinez, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2025
The City of Eagle Pass, Texas will have the distinction of having the highest international toll bridge fares for motor vehicles among all the Texas-Mexico international bridges as a result of a new Ordinance approved by the City Council on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, at its special city council meeting held at the City Council Chambers within City Hall.
Agenda Item No. 6 of the September 16, 2025 special meeting called for discussion and possible action regarding an “introductory ordinance of the City of Eagle Pass, Texas,…by amending the non-commercial vehicle toll rate from $2.00 per axle to $2.25 per axle, or from $4.00 per vehicle to $4.50 per vehicle for express card or toll tag users, and $2.00 per axle to $3.50 per axle, or from $4.00 per vehicle to $7.00 per vehicle for cash payments.”
Upon calling Agenda Item No. 6 in Open Session, the City Council voted to go into Executive Session (Closed Session) to discuss the international toll bridge rate increase as proposed by the introductory Ordinance.
After returning from Executive Session, the Mayor and City Council moved on to discuss the heavily debated international bridge toll rate increase. While originally proposed to increase the toll rate “from $4.00 per vehicle to $7.00 per vehicle,” City Manager Homero Balderas, recommended to the city council to modify the rate to “$5.00 for express card users per vehicle and $6.00 for cash payers per vehicle.”
Councilwoman Jessica Rey Ramon made the motion to raise the new international bridge toll fare rate to $5.00 for express card users and $6.00 for cash payers per vehicle , which was seconded by Councilman Elias Diaz. Mayor Aaron Valdez, Councilwoman Jessica Rey Ramon, and Councilman Elias Diaz eagerly moved to approve the new toll bridge rate increase while Councilman Mario E. Garcia hesitantly joined to approve the new rate.
While the motion to approve the first reading of three required to increase the toll bridge rate increase, Mayor Pro-Tem William Davis abstained and reminded his colleagues on the City Council how the increased rates could negatively affect local business and merchants throughout the city, particularly the downtown merchants. “We need to make sure we are cautious and don’t do something that is going to cause them (people) from coming,” voiced the Mayor Pro-Tem, “it might be put at a price point where some people may be unable to cross.” Davis who served for more than 15 years as President of the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors knows fully well the importance of Mexican visitors and tourists to Eagle Pass’s economy, especially to retail merchants, restaurants, grocery stores, gasoline and convenience stores, hotels, and many other local businesses. Unfortunately, Davis’s admonition fell on deaf ears of the City Council who seemed to be in a rush to approve the highest toll bridge fare among the Texas-Mexico border international bridges.
With a new proposed $6.00 bridge toll rate, Eagle Pass will have the highest international toll bridge fare along the southern Texas-Mexico border, surpassing the Cameron County International Bridge System in Brownsville at $5 per vehicle, the Hidalgo International Bridge in McAllen at $4 per vehicle, and Ciudad Acuna in Del Rio at $4 per vehicle.
“We have monumental projects for the international bridge system” forthcoming stated City Manager Homero Balderas, a former Director of the City International Bridge System, reminding the city council and attendees at the meeting. “We need to be able to start preparing to sustain these debts financially when the projects do come.” “One project is estimated at approximately $20 million for the realignment of the transportation roadways leading to the new expansion project of the Camino Real International Bridge and the second at $45 to $50 million for the design and construction of the new bridge expansion project’ of the Camino Real Bridge,” added Balderas. “We might have to issue revenue bonds to pay for all or part of the Camino Real Bridge expansion project,” noted Balderas. Although the Ordinance does not provide or state that a certain percentage of the increased toll bridge fare be dedicated or set aside to pay for to the realignment project of the transportation roadways and/or the expansion project costs of the Camino Real Bridge.
While the motion was approved on its first reading at the September 16th meeting, the City Council will return for second and third readings before the new increased toll bridge rates becomes official. Citizens from both Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico may present arguments for or against the increased toll bridge rates at either the second or third reading of the proposed ordinance; otherwise, the new rates will take effect upon approval by a majority of the city council.
City Manager Balderas told the City Council that based on last year’s temporary holiday rate increase, business does not decrease when rates increase during the holidays. With the raise of the new toll bridge rate, Balderas suggested that the increased revenues may possibly allow the City to afford to keep open Bridge No. 1 24 hours a day.
No local citizen, business, or organization presented themselves during the Citizens Communication agenda to speak in favor or against the proposed rate increase of the international toll bridge fare. Noticeably absent at the September 16th meeting was the Eagle Pass Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Eagle Pass Merchants Association, or business representatives. Local citizens and businesses will have two more meetings to speak up before the final rate increase is approved by city council.
