U.S. General Services Administration
GSA Starts Construction for Commercial Bypass Lanes at Del Rio Land Port of Entry
DEL RIO, Texas - Today, the General Services Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the city of Del Rio announced the start of construction for a commercial bypass at the Del Rio Land Port of Entry with a groundbreaking ceremony. The project will improve trade with Mexico by reducing wait times and speeding inspection processing. It will also help the local economies of Del Rio and Val Verde County during and after construction, and the nation as a whole upon completion.
The bypass project was made possible through the Donations Acceptance Program. The program allows GSA and CBP to partner with public and private entities to accept donations in support of CBP operations at ports of entry. When donated improvements are incorporated into these projects, the value of GSA’s services are significantly increased. These scenarios provide a win-win for customer agencies like CBP, local communities and the American taxpayer.
“The General Services Administration’s mission is to deliver value and savings in real estate to help our customer agencies deliver their mission safely and effectively and the Donations Acceptance Program allows us to do just that,” said GSA Regional Commissioner Giancarlo Brizzi. “By partnering with CBP and the city of Del Rio, we were able to develop a solution to long standing wait issues at the LPOE. The new bypass lane in Del Rio will alleviate wait times for those entering the United States and provide more efficient trade with Mexico.”
“Having additional lanes and improvements like these will have a significant positive impact in our ability to expedite processing times for passengers and commercial cargo traffic entering the United States,” said Port Director Liliana Flores, Port of Del Rio.
“Many infrastructure and technological improvements at ports of entry are made possible by the Donations Acceptance Program. The addition of the lanes in this project will help reinvigorate the economic vitality of the city of Del Rio by creating new international trade opportunities incentivizing new local jobs,” said Pete Flores, Executive Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Field Operations.
The city of Del Rio will donate the following improvements to the federal government valuing over $400K:
- New two lane roadway from the base of the International Bridge to the Expedited Cargo Lanes
- All associated drainage, signage, lighting, fencing
Construction is scheduled to begin in late Summer 2022 and take approximately six months to complete.
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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of more than 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $68 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver the best value in real estate, acquisition and technology services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities. For more information, visit: www.gsa.gov and follow us at @USGSA.