Free Trade International Bridge, International toll bridge over the Rio Grande in Los Indios, Texas, United States
The Free Trade International Bridge is a four-lane crossing that spans the Rio Grande between Los Indios in Texas and Matamoros in Tamaulipas. The structure connects these two communities and facilitates the movement of vehicles, people, and goods across the international border.
The crossing was established in 1992 by Cameron County officials to strengthen commercial ties between Texas and Tamaulipas. This new border facility became part of broader efforts to streamline trade operations along the lower Rio Grande Valley.
The bridge carries the name of Lucio Blanco, a Mexican revolutionary, and is known in Spanish as Puente Internacional Libre Comercio. For years Los Indios was the only crossing used by transmigrantes hauling goods from the United States into Latin America, a traffic still visible in the commercial trucks that share the span with passenger cars.
The crossing handles passenger vehicles and commercial trucks; because the bridge is only 503 feet (153 m) long and sits in a rural area, very few pedestrians use it. Cameron County owns and manages the span, and the Los Indios Port of Entry opened with it in 1992.
For years Los Indios was the only port of entry used by transmigrantes hauling goods from the United States into Latin America. The crossing handles passenger cars and commercial trucks, but the bridge's 153-metre span and rural setting mean pedestrians are rarely seen.
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