| | |  Travel & Outdoors | August 2009 
Crossing From Mexico Into the United States About to Get Easier
 Daniel Silva - Mission Economic Development Authority
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August 03, 2009
| | Anzalduas International Bridge - America's newest international crossing | |
Mission, Texas - The 2000 mile border the United States shares with Mexico has dramatically increased focus on security in recent years. One adverse impact of this increased security is that bottlenecks are created at the border in the distribution pipeline of products and travelers between the two countries. Enter the much anticipated Anzalduas International Bridge set to open in October 2009 and connecting Mission, Texas (part of the larger McAllen MSA), to Reynosa, Mexico.
"Anzalduas will be the newest and one of largest border crossings in the country, and will directly increase traffic flow for industrial, retail, commercial travelers and tourists," said Pat Townsend Jr., CEO of the Mission Economic Development Authority.
Ties with Mexican Sister Cities
Eight international bridges connect the Mission area to the industrial border communities of Reynosa, Matamoros and Monterrey, Mexico, an area of more than 5 million people. Less than a three hour drive away, Monterrey is Mexico's third largest city and home to many of the wealthiest in the country.
With Mission/McAllen as their nearest U.S. retail market, the impact of Mexican spending has been a part of life as long as anyone can remember. Mexican disposable income accounted for more than a third of annual retail sales in 2008 from retail to second homes and even banking.
"This is a very unique international area and we have to keep the traffic flowing," said Townsend. Businesses and commerce here is booming, and the Anzalduas Bridge is going to help spur even more growth to the area.
The area is doing quite well. Despite nationally dismal economic news, Mission-McAllen was ranked the best medium-sized city for jobs in the country by Forbes.com in April. Key Job growth sectors include retail, government, education and health care. The area's current GDP (gross domestic product) is $15.6 billion and projected to increase to $16.6 billion by the end of 2010.
NAFTA opened new possibilities for international trade with Mexico and Canada. Cities like Mission, only minutes from the U.S.-Mexico border, are capitalizing on this market globalization.
Daniel Silva
Mission Economic Development Authority
1-800-707-1155
www.missioneda.org |
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