Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge, also known as B&M International Bridge, Brownsville-Matamoros International Bridge and Express Bridge, is one of three international bridges that cross the U.S.-Mexico border between the cities of Brownsville, Texas
, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas
.
It is popularly called the "old bridge" because its original incarnation, still standing, is the city's oldest international bridge. In 1999, Texas
state Historical marker
11778 was placed at the site by the Texas Historical Commission
and the Cameron County
Historical Commission to recognize the bridge's historical significance.
reached Brownsville, it was separated from the Mexican National Railway line by the Rio Grande
. In 1908, future vice president
John Nance Garner IV
presented a bill
to congress
that would allow the construction of a bridge to span the river and connect the railways.
lay the concrete foundation, and the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company
of Milwaukee
constructed the steel spans. To accommodate river traffic, the bridge was constructed as a swing bridge
, an additional expense that proved unnecessary as river traffic grew inactive before construction was fully completed. The swing mechanism was tested in July 1910 and never opened again. Construction of the 227 foot structure cost approximately $225,000.
The first B&M International Bridge opened for traffic on December 12, 1910. The bridge was intended to serve all land-based international traffic, including pedestrian, animal-drawn, automobile and rail. On opening day, the Brownsville Herald published an elaborate set of tolls
, including five cents for a foot passenger, ten cents for equestrians, twenty cents for an automobile with driver (plus five cents additional per extra passenger) and weight- and passenger-based charges for carriages and carts. Additional charges applied to excessive luggage. Livestock and trade goods were taxed. Children under seven who were accompanied by an adult were permitted to cross the bridge free.
The bridge was widened in 1953 and 1992 to accommodate larger commercial trucks.
in East Brownsville. The new bridge features a central concrete divider and a separate pedestrian sidewalk.
and the Union Pacific Railroad Company. Union Pacific trains cross the original International Bridge. The B&M Bridge Company is now calling its automobile bridge the Express Bridge in honor of its issuance in 1999 of prepaid toll express cards. The Express Bridge is also open to, and collects tolls from, bicyclists and pedestrians.
Bridge maintenance, security and administration is maintained on the US side, which is also where tolls are collected.
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, Tamaulipas
Matamoros, officially known as Heroica Matamoros, is a city in the northeastern part of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located on the southern bank of the Rio Grande, directly across the border from Brownsville, Texas, in the United States. Matamoros is the second largest and second...
.
It is popularly called the "old bridge" because its original incarnation, still standing, is the city's oldest international bridge. In 1999, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
state Historical marker
Historical marker
A historical marker or historic marker is an indicator such as a plaque or sign to commemorate an event or person of historic interest and to associate that point of interest with a specific locale one can visit.-Description:...
11778 was placed at the site by the Texas Historical Commission
Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas....
and the Cameron County
Cameron County, Texas
Cameron County is the southernmost county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 406,220. Its county seat is Brownsville. Cameron was founded in 1848...
Historical Commission to recognize the bridge's historical significance.
History
In 1904, when the railroad constructed by St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico RailwaySt. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway
The St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railway was a 200-mile railroad that operated from Brownsville, Texas to Gulf Coast Junction in Houston. It passed through small southeast Texas communities such as Robstown, Corpus Christi, Bay City, and Harlingen as well as the Rio Grande Valley.-History:Uriah...
reached Brownsville, it was separated from the Mexican National Railway line by the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
. In 1908, future vice president
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
John Nance Garner IV
John Nance Garner
John Nance Garner, IV , was the 32nd Vice President of the United States and the 44th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives .- Early life and family :...
presented a bill
Bill (proposed law)
A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute....
to congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
that would allow the construction of a bridge to span the river and connect the railways.
The original B&M International Bridge
In 1909, the Brownsville and Matamoros Bridge Company, jointly owned by St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway and the Mexican National Railway, was incorporated to oversee construction and operation of the bridge. Work began in April. The Foundation Company of New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
lay the concrete foundation, and the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company
Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company
The Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company is, or was, a fabricator and erector of iron and steel bridges and other large structures. Information is difficult to find, but according to one source it was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1888. The Riemer family of Elm Grove, Wisconsin was heavily...
of Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
constructed the steel spans. To accommodate river traffic, the bridge was constructed as a swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
, an additional expense that proved unnecessary as river traffic grew inactive before construction was fully completed. The swing mechanism was tested in July 1910 and never opened again. Construction of the 227 foot structure cost approximately $225,000.
The first B&M International Bridge opened for traffic on December 12, 1910. The bridge was intended to serve all land-based international traffic, including pedestrian, animal-drawn, automobile and rail. On opening day, the Brownsville Herald published an elaborate set of tolls
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
, including five cents for a foot passenger, ten cents for equestrians, twenty cents for an automobile with driver (plus five cents additional per extra passenger) and weight- and passenger-based charges for carriages and carts. Additional charges applied to excessive luggage. Livestock and trade goods were taxed. Children under seven who were accompanied by an adult were permitted to cross the bridge free.
The bridge was widened in 1953 and 1992 to accommodate larger commercial trucks.
The second B&M International Bridge
In spite of the enlargements, increasing traffic demands made the combined usage of the bridge problematic. Automobile traffic on both sides of the US and Mexican border had to be halted to allow trains to cross. In 1997, a new concrete, four-lane toll bridge was opened adjacent to the original bridge to handle automobile traffic. The old bridge today serves primarily railway traffic, though it was also used for truck traffic before the opening of the Veteran's International BridgeVeteran's International Bridge
The Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates is one of three international bridges that span the Mexico – United States border between the cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. It is also known as simply as the Veterans Bridge, the Los Tomates Bridge, or on the Mexico side as...
in East Brownsville. The new bridge features a central concrete divider and a separate pedestrian sidewalk.
Current
Currently, the B&M Bridge Company is jointly owned by the federal government of MexicoPolitics of Mexico
The politics of Mexico take place in a framework of a federal presidential representative democratic republic whose government is based on a congressional system, whereby the president of Mexico is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system...
and the Union Pacific Railroad Company. Union Pacific trains cross the original International Bridge. The B&M Bridge Company is now calling its automobile bridge the Express Bridge in honor of its issuance in 1999 of prepaid toll express cards. The Express Bridge is also open to, and collects tolls from, bicyclists and pedestrians.
Bridge maintenance, security and administration is maintained on the US side, which is also where tolls are collected.
See also
- Gateway International BridgeGateway International BridgeGateway International Bridge is one of three international bridges that cross the U.S.-Mexico border between the cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. It is owned and operated by Cameron County. Over the past century, it has developed the nickname of "The New Bridge" when the...
- Veteran's International BridgeVeteran's International BridgeThe Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates is one of three international bridges that span the Mexico – United States border between the cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. It is also known as simply as the Veterans Bridge, the Los Tomates Bridge, or on the Mexico side as...
- Union Pacific International Railroad Bridge (Eagle Pass – Piedras Negras)
Sources
- Bridges of the Area: The Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge - Puente Viejo. Accessed July 3, 2007.
- History of the Brownsville-Matamoros Bridge. Accessed July 3, 2007.
- Texas Historical Commission Searchable Database. Accessed July 3, 2007.
- Werner, George. St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway The Handbook of Texas Online. Accessed July 3, 2007.