By Diana M. Alba
July 14, 2010
The federal economic stimulus money will go toward expanding the number of entry lanes into the United States. Lanes for passenger vehicles would increase from two to five; commercial lanes would bump up from two to three, according to a news release from New Mexico's congressional delegation.
Officials said the expansion is needed because of increasing passenger and commercial vehicle traffic.
Jerry Pacheco, who heads the International Business Accelerator, said northbound commercial traffic is on the rise partly because of a relatively new plant established by Foxconn, an electronics manufacturer, in San Jeronimo, opposite the border from Santa Teresa. The company is manufacturing Dell computers. Also, he said, a highway extension that connects downtown Juárez to the Santa Teresa port is contributing.
"We're growing by leaps and bounds," he said.
According to numbers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, about 51,300 commercial trucks entered the United States at Santa Teresa in 2008-09. That was roughly a 13 percent increase from the prior year and about a 55 percent increase from 2004-05.
The value of commercial cargo crossing at Santa Teresa, including northbound and southbound, also is on the rise, said Michael Moxey, spokesman for the New Mexico Economic Development Department.
A now-outdated projection was that the port would reach $10 billion to $12 billion in commercial trade annually by the year 2020, he said. But January 2010 saw $1 billion alone, he said.
"Obviously, we need to expand to keep up with the value coming through the port," he said.
Pacheco said adequate port infrastructure is needed to keep waiting times down, allowing Santa Teresa to stay competitive, with other ports.
"Having a port with sufficient infrastructure is the key to having us recruit new businesses," he said. " Rather than being reactive to where the port actually gets clogged in the future and we're desperate, we're being preventative by putting the appropriate amount of infrastructure there to keep the port the most rapid port in the whole corridor."
U.S. Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall and Congressman Harry Teague, all D-N.M., issued a joint news release, saying the funding will promote economic development.
In addition to commercial traffic, passenger traffic also has seen an increase. Pacheco said the Santa Teresa port has become the "preferred" entry point for travelers from the interior of Mexico.
They're avoiding Juárez because of cartel-related violence.
Other additions to the port will include a new inspection canopy, expanded pedestrian inspection areas, a pedestrian sidewalk, new lighting, new "non-intrusive" inspection equipment, an energy-efficient heating and cooling system and xeriscaping, according to the congressional delegation.
Diana M. Alba can be reached at (575) 541-5443.
Santa Teresa Port of Entry
Traffic entering the U.S. from Mexico*
2008-09
•Pedestrians: 39,038
•Commercial trucks: 51,276
•Passenger vehicles: 424,797
2007-08
•Pedestrians: 24,436
•Commercial trucks: 45,499
•Passenger vehicles: 377,573
2006-07
•Pedestrians: 19,291
•Commercial trucks: 37,681
•Passenger vehicles: 436,018
2005-06
•Pedestrians: 16,296
•Commercial trucks: 36,950
•Passenger vehicles: 296,645
2004-05
•Pedestrians: 14,953
•Commercial trucks: 33,166
•Passenger vehicles: 243,692
*Numbers from the federal government's fiscal year, which runs Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.
