Eagle Pass City Council Awards Camino Real International Bridge Expansion Project Design Contract to LJA
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2025
The City of Eagle Pass, Texas City Council unanimously approved to award the design contract for the expansion project of the Camino Real International Bridge from six lanes to 12 lanes to LJA at their special meeting held on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 after receiving criticism for delaying the salient bridge expansion project from the community.
Last week on September 9, 2025, the City Council initially had rejected the awarding of the design contract to LJA despite being the top ranked firm after submission of Request for Qualifications and a City panel review committee’s recommendation, but Mayor Pro-Tem William Davis was able to persuade Mayor Aaron Valdez, Councilwoman Jessica Rey Ramon, and Councilman Elias Diaz to amend their initial motion to table the agenda item for their next meeting—September 16th.
Councilwoman Ramon in making the initial motion to reject the bid and to re-bid the design contract stated that the City needed to give its Mexican partner, the State of Coahuila, time to have input into the selection of a design firm for the expansion project. Mayor Valdez, Ramon, and Councilman Elias Diaz voted for rejection, while Davis and Councilman Mario E. Garcia voted against. However, Mayor Pro-Tem Davis wisely cautioned the City Council majority to reconsider their rejection motion in light of pending international bridges in the community.
Maverick County and the private investment group of Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC have already been granted a Presidential Permit to build two international bridges north of Eagle Pass, one a railroad bridge and another a commercial vehicle bridge. In addition, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas has petitioned the U. S. State Department to design and build a motor vehicle international bridge at their reservation south of Eagle Pass, which is pending approval.
Ramon amended her original motion and was seconded to table the awarding of the design contract to their next meeting. The amended motion passed to table the design contract by a split 4-1 vote with Garcia favoring not to delay the project any further. Subsequently, community and business leaders rained their concerns and objections to delaying further the much delayed expansion project of the Camino Real International Bridge. The project is already three to five years late and will take up to three to four years to complete.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal obtained a copy of a letter dated June 24, 2025, two and a half months ago, from the State of Coahuila Governor Manolo Jimenez Salinas to Mayor Aaron Valdez “authorizing the City of Eagle Pass to lead the procurement process for the comprehensive design of the project as a whole, starting with on the U. S. side and concluding in Piedras Negras….at your upcoming meeting.”
Governor Jimenez Salinas added that he was “reiterating the commitment of the Government of the State of Coahuila to cover the portion of the design cost corresponding to the Mexican side.”
Thus, Mayor Valdez and the City Council knew since June 24, 2025 that the Governor of the State of Coahuila had authorized the City of Eagle Pass to hire the design firm expeditiously with reimbursement from the State of Coahuila for the costs incurred for the Mexican side of the bridge. Regrettably, the pretext or reason given by Councilwoman Ramon, Mayor Valdez, and Councilman Diaz for rejecting or delaying the awarding of the design contract was disingenuous and insincere.
Eagle Pass taxpayers demand full transparency and accountability from its Mayor, City Council, and City Administration on the design contract, bridge expansion project, and all City matters. Eagle Pass taxpayers do not condone disingenuous statements and/or arguments made by publicly elected officials and City employees made for political gamesmanship. Now, let’s get on with the design and construction of the expansion project of the Camino Real International Bridge.
