New Mexico Border Authority awards feasibility study to HNTB
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefThe New Mexico Border Authority has selected HNTB Corp. perform a comprehensive study determining the feasibility of a new rail bypass and international rail border crossing near the Santa Teresa, N.Mex., Port of Entry into Mexico. The results of this initial work, if deemed feasible, will guide the state of New Mexico and its associates in developing the new bypass and border crossing.
A public outreach program will foster extensive coordination between U.S. and Mexican governmental agencies; the Mexican state of Chihuahua; the states of New Mexico and Texas; Union Pacific, BNSF Railway, and Ferrocarril Mexicana, S.A. de C.V. (Ferromex); and various local stakeholders. As part of the HNTB team, multiple New Mexico-based subconsultants will provide technical expertise and regional insight for the study.
“Building on the economic success the New Mexico Border Authority, Santa Teresa, and Doña Ana County have experienced with the recent opening of Union Pacific’s Strauss Yard, the feasibility study should take approximately 12 months to complete,” said HNTB South and Central Texas Office Leader Carlos Lopez, P.E. “We are honored that the New Mexico Border Authority has selected our team to conduct this analysis. The result will be an in-depth study that benefits the state of New Mexico and provides guidance for future rail plans.”
“HNTB has been engaged in this project for a decade by participating in advisory committee meetings involving New Mexico, Texas, Chihuahua, and the three freight rail carriers in the region,” said HNTB Rail Practice Leader Joe Lileikis. “Successful implementation of this project carries with it the potential to dramatically enhance the economic vitality of the region.”
Previously, HNTB led the planning, environmental clearance, residential permitting, funding, design, and construction of the Brownsville-Matamoros West Rail Bypass Port of Entry in South Texas, the first U.S.-Mexico rail border crossing in Texas to be built in 100 years.
