CPKC completes new international rail bridge over Rio Grande

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) has completed construction of a new international railway bridge spanning the Rio Grande between Laredo, Texas, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas.

“Completion of this internationally important project more than doubles our capacity to move freight through the border at the largest international trade port of entry in North America,” said Keith Creel, CPKC president and chief executive officer. “This is an important milestone that keeps Laredo-Nuevo Laredo at the centre of North American trade, allowing the secure and efficient movement of more imports and exports across the U.S.-Mexico border.

“By linking expanding markets for our customers, this CPKC investment will accelerate growth between the industrial heartland of Mexico and points across the United States and Canada.”

Kansas City Southern (KCS) broke ground on the project in late 2022. Built to accommodate growing trade between the United States and Mexico, its largest trading partner, the rail bridge will now be known as the Patrick J. Ottensmeyer International Railway Bridge. The bridge is named in honour of Patrick J. Ottensmeyer, the last president and chief executive officer of KCS, who passed away in July 2024.

“Pat’s leadership and vision were instrumental in the development and successful completion of this project,” said Creel. “His legacy lives on in the work we do at CPKC each and every day, enabling growing international trade across three great nations – Canada, the United States and Mexico.”

The completion of this US$100-million rail bridge and associated track work expands the capacity of the most secure and efficient railway trade corridor between the United States and Mexico.

Key features of the Ottensmeyer Bridge include:

• A new second-track bridge with a total length of 1,170 feet.
• A ballasted deck plate girder bridge built with six reinforced concrete piers.
• A second-track bridge constructed on the right-of-way, roughly 35 feet from the existing track bridge, allowing trains to operate in both directions simultaneously.
• 4,500 feet of new track.
• Enhanced border security investments, including a new VACIS X-ray railcar inspection system and surveillance cameras.

The Ottensmeyer Bridge is the only railway bridge crossing the Rio Grande River linking Laredo and Nuevo Laredo across the international border. The U.S. Presidential Permit for construction of the new bridge span was received in July 2020.