McALLEN, Texas (Border Report) — President Joe Biden has approved the construction of a new international bridge connecting the U.S. and Mexico south of Laredo, Texas.

South Texas officials are praising the go-ahead by the Biden administration for what locals are calling the long-awaited “4/5 Bridge.”

The bridge would be the fourth international bridge connecting the Mexican state of Tamaulipas with Laredo, and the fifth bridge in Webb County, one of which leads to the neighboring Mexican state of Nuevo León.

Biden signed the presidential permit on Thursday. It is subject to certain environmental conditions but allows the project to start.

His approval comes nearly four months after the president issued construction and expansion permits for three other international bridges in South Texas.

Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina called the signing of the 4/5 Bridge “a moment that will be etched in the annals of Webb County’s history.”

The project has been in the works for nearly two decades and Tijerina called it a “significant milestone” to improve trade and relations between Mexico and the United States.

“With this signing, we herald the establishment of Tamaulipas’s fourth international bridge and Webb County’s fifth, symbolizing a new era of connectivity and collaboration,” Tijerina said in a statement. “This is just the beginning of a brighter future for our people.”

The bridge is to be built southeast of Laredo near the small towns of Rio Bravo and El Cenizo and will be designed to accommodate commercial, vehicular and pedestrian traffic to and from Mexico.

In June, Biden issued presidential permits for the building of two new international bridges in Eagle Pass and Brownsville.

With Thursday’s announcement, the three new bridges will include:

• The Puerto Verde Global Trade Bridge in Eagle Pass
• The 4/5 International Bridge in Webb County
• The Flor de Mayo International Bridge in Brownsville

Biden in June also approved the expansion of the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, which is the nation’s No. 1 inland port for commercial traffic on the Southwest border.

A new eight-lane northbound bridge is to be built beside the current World Trade Bridge, and the current bridge is to be expanded from eight lanes to 10 lanes for truck traffic.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, of Laredo, this week told Border Report that over 17,000 tractor-trailers cross daily at the World Trade Bridge, and the nearby Colombia Solidarity International Bridge, which connects to Nuevo León, Mexico.

Cuellar said South Texas leaders also are trying to get presidential approval to expand the Colombia Solidarity International Bridge, and backers of the project have just weeks — until the end of the year — to put in their applications under the legislation.

“We’re looking at expanding from eight lanes to 18 lanes at the World Trade bridge, and then at the Columbia bridge, from eight to 16 lanes,” Cuellar said. “I think that is going to really boom at the end of this year. … Trade is going to increase, and we got to make sure that we take care of the trade community.”

The creation of three new international bridges in South Texas and the expansion of an existing bridge was approved under special legislation that Congress passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, which U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, authored.

The legislation applies only to projects in the South Texas counties of Webb, Cameron and Maverick. It has helped streamline the approval process, by allowing for construction to start while environmental studies are still being conducted.

However, construction could be halted at any time if environmental concerns are found.

Cruz posted on X on Thursday that he’s “made securing presidential permits for Texas-Mexico border bridge infrastructure projects a top priority. My bipartisan legislation to streamline the approval process for these bridge projects has now resulted in yet another swift approval for a bridge that will massively increase trade with our neighbor to the south, boost the resiliency of our supply chain, and support good-paying jobs across the Lone Star State.”

The new 4/5 bridge will connect to State Highway 359 and Interstate 35, which leads to San Antonio.

Republican U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz’s South Texas district spans from south Hidalgo County north toward San Antonio. She says the bridge will help facilitate trade for the region.

“I am pleased to see the Biden administration take this important step forward for our border communities,” De La Cruz said. “Approving the Laredo 4/5 International Bridge permit is a win for Texas and America. This new bridge will facilitate increased trade, ease congestion at existing crossings, and create jobs and economic opportunities for communities on both sides of the border.”

Sandra Sanchez can be reached at SSanchez@BorderReport.com.