Anzalduas International Bridge, International road bridge in Mission, Texas, US
The Anzalduas International Bridge is a road bridge that crosses the Rio Grande between Mission, Texas and Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. It carries four lanes of traffic and sits next to a wildlife refuge that lines the riverbank on the US side.
Planning for the bridge started in the early 2000s to answer growing demand for border crossings in the lower Rio Grande Valley. Construction began in 2007 and the bridge opened to traffic in December 2009.
On both sides of the crossing, Spanish is the dominant language heard in shops, on the street, and at family gatherings. The river here feels less like a border and more like a seam between two parts of the same community.
The bridge is open to cars, trucks, and pedestrians, and wait times can vary a great deal depending on the time of day. Crossing outside of morning and evening commuter hours tends to move faster.
The bridge deck was raised higher than usual so that animals in the refuge below could move freely without being disturbed by traffic. From the roadway, drivers pass directly above the protected land and can sometimes spot wildlife beneath them.
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