Major change ahead? El Paso County backs plan to clear trucks from border crossing

El Paso County Commissioners Court is greenlighting a letter in support of a plan to remove commercial truck traffic from the Bridge of the Americas , the only free land port connecting El Paso to Ciudad Juárez.

The General Services Administration, the government agency behind the more than $600 million renovation of the highly traveled border crossing, recently announced its support for a design plan to transform the puente libre land port into a pedestrian-only crossing.

The Commissioners Court's decision during its meeting Monday, Oct. 7, provides one more voice of support for the planned upgrade and sets the stage for the El Paso City Council to take the same action during its meeting Tuesday, Oct. 8.

"Today, Commissioners Court made a strong statement in support of public health by supporting the GSA recommendation to remove commercial traffic from BOTA," El Paso County Commissioner David Stout wrote in a statement following the Commissioners Court vote. "We are committed to a healthy, prosperous Paso del Norte."

"I am grateful for the court’s support, for the community members in Familias Unidas de Chamizal and San Xavier and elsewhere who have worked so hard over the years to raise awareness and take action to improve environmental health conditions," he continued, "to (U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso) for her work on BOTA, and to the GSA for identifying the public health needs due to heavy traffic and industry and the opportunity to take meaningful action."

City Council set to support GSA plan

Despite previously refusing to support a plan to remove commercial truck traffic at the Bridge of the Americas, the City Council will discuss the issue again on Tuesday, Oct. 8.

West-Central city Rep. Josh Acevedo proposed the issue, which is more likely to be approved now that GSA and Commissioners Court are calling for the port's renovation to include the removal of commercial traffic.

"The purpose of this proposal is to support the GSA’s identification of Alternative 4 for the multilevel modernizationof the Bridge of the Americas to accommodate pedestrian and non-commercial vehicle traffic, with the eliminationof commercial cargo traffic," a letter in the backup to Tuesday's agenda states. "After multiple public comment periods, residents in the surrounding neighborhood of the Bridge of the Americas have cited health and safety concerns caused by commercial cargo traffic. After numerous public meetings, the GSA is in agreement that this is a public health issue."

What's next for the BOTA project?

Despite settling on a design concept, the BOTA project still has a long road ahead before shovels actually hit the dirt.

If GSA's preferred alternative is chosen after a 45-day public comment period, the project is expected to break ground in late 2026 and be completed by the end of 2029.

Residents can submit comments through Nov. 4 by sending an email to BOTA.nepacomments@gsa.gov .

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Major change ahead? El Paso County backs plan to clear trucks from border crossing