Eagle Pass City Council Approves International Bridge Toll Rates Increase After Debacle
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2025
After a three months long debacle, the City of Eagle Pass, Texas City Council finally approved the third and final reading of two ordinances amending the international bridge toll rates by increasing them at their regular meeting held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, seeking to maximize the City’s greatest revenue-generating asset—the Eagle Pass International Bridge System, which contributes an estimated $15-19 million to the City’s annual fiscal year budget.
What originally began in the summer of 2025 during budget planning sessions for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, City leaders eyed increasing the international bridge toll rates as a means to raise more revenues for capital improvement projects on the two international bridges owned by the City as well as fund other long-neglected capital improvement projects needed in the City.
The City of Eagle Pass has a total of 26 capital improvement projects among its wish list, costing an estimated $154 million, including the realignment of transportation roadways leading to the Camino Real Bridge at an estimated cost of $23 million and the expansion of the Camino Real Bridge from six to 12 lanes with an estimated cost of $50 million.
Initial discussions among City Administration representatives raised the prospect of increasing the bridge toll rate for non-commercial vehicles from $4 to $8 per vehicle, but settled on requesting an increased toll rate of $6 per vehicle for cash payment users. Due to strong opposition from international bridge commuters in both Eagle Pass and its Mexican sister city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico and a procedural misstep by City Administration failing to consult with the Eagle Pass International Bridge System Board of Trustees prior to them being approved, the City Administration and City Council were forced to scale back their proposed toll rate increases.
At their November 4th regular meeting, the City Council approved Agenda Item No. 15 regarding the third and final reading of an ordinance amending the international bridge toll rates for non-commercial vehicles by increasing those who pay in cash from $4 per vehicle to $5 per vehicle while retaining the rate of $4 per vehicle for express card or toll tag users, establishing a one dollar increase per vehicle for cash users only after the three months-long debacle. City Council members approving the one dollar bridge toll rate increase were Mayor Aaron Valdez and City Council-members Jessica Rey Ramon, Elias Diaz, and Mario E. Garcia while Mayor Pro-Tem William “Billy” Davis voted against the increase.
In addition, the City Council approved to increase the bridge toll rates for commercial vehicles and buses at the November 4th meeting. Agenda Item No. 7 was approved at its third and final reading to amend the ordinance to increase the commercial vehicles and buses from $5.50 per axle to $6.50 per axle for those paying with a toll tag and from $6 per axle to $10 per axle for those paying in cash, as well as establishing a $25 fee for tractors without a trailer and a penalty for those with insufficient funds.
The new increased bridge toll rates will become effective this month in November after their publication in a local newspaper, just in time for the expected heavy traffic during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s holidays.
During the three months bridge toll rate increase debacle, the City of Eagle Pass received significant critical international news coverage from both American and Mexican news media sources concerning the rate increases, the City Bridge Director resigned from his post and was paid a severance of approximately $43,000, and the City Council temporarily delayed the awarding of the engineering and design contract for the expansion project of Camino Real Bridge from six to 12 lanes.
Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, Coahuila bridge commuters and users are unhappy with the toll rate increases, but will have to adjust to the new increased rates.
Eagle Pass retail merchants and businesses hope the new increased bridge toll rates does not severely affect the economic impact of the holiday shopping season as many depend on it for up to 70-80 percent of their annual gross sales.
