COLUMBUS: Two U.S. senators and a congressman celebrated the start of new construction on the state’s oldest port of entry during a groundbreaking ceremony Monday in Columbus. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, both Democrats, were joined by Rep. Steve Pearce, a Republican, to kickoff the construction. Government officials said the $85.6 million project will improve security, encourage trade and create jobs in the community. Meanwhile, Udall, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, was instrumental in securing the federal funding and told NewsChannel 9 the number of daily crosses have increased dramatically within the last few years and the port itself has trouble keeping up.
According to Udall, from 2010 to 2016, pedestrian crossings have increased by 40,000 people. During that same time frame, commercial traffic has increased 60 percent, according to Udall. He said, “The Columbus Port of Entry is an important gateway between New Mexico and Mexico, our state’s largest trading partner. Replacing the aging infrastructure and expanding the port will dramatically increase efficiency and expand trade, tourism, and commerce with Mexico — and improve safety for our Customs and Border Protection agents.”
In addition to having an economic impact, Pearce said the expansion will help improve border security. “Not only will the new port aid in the overall strategy to secure our southern border and keep communities in New Mexico safe but it will increase the economic opportunity to improving Customs and Border Patrol’s ability to effectively and efficiently complete its inspections at the Columbus crossing.” Meanwhile, Heinrich told NewsChannel 9 the construction will be good for both sides of the border. He said, “I will continue fighting for smart investments to improve infrastructure in New Mexico’s border communities with the goal of enhancing border security, improving transportation safety for families in the region and boosting the region’s trade competitiveness to create jobs and grow the border economy.” Custom and Border Protection Port Director Robert Reza said, “The new port of entry will assist our officers in being more efficient in processing both private and commercial in traffic while maintaining our vital homeland security mission.” Construction on the project has already started and should be completed by Feb. 2019.
