CPKC Completes $100 Million Railway Bridge to Strengthen U.S.-Mexico Trade

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) announced the completion of the new section of the international railway bridge over the Rio Grande from Laredo, Texas, to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, named the "Ottensmeyer Bridge," with an investment of $100 million.

"The completion of this internationally significant project more than doubles our freight transport capacity at the highest volume international trade gateway in North America," said Keith Creel, President and CEO of CPKC.

Kansas City Southern (KCS) initiated the project in late 2022. Built to accommodate the growing trade between the United States and its largest trading partner, Mexico, the railway bridge will now be known as the Patrick J. Ottensmeyer International Railway Bridge. The name honors the late Patrick J. Ottensmeyer, the former President and CEO of KCS, who passed away in July 2024.

"Pat’s leadership and vision were critical in the development and successful completion of this project. His legacy lives on in the work we do at CPKC every day, enabling the growth of international trade between three great nations: Canada, the United States, and Mexico," Creel added.

The completion of this $100 million railway bridge and track project enhances the capacity of the safest and most efficient rail trade corridor between the United States and Mexico.

"This is an important milestone that keeps Laredo-Nuevo Laredo at the heart of North American trade, enabling the safe and efficient movement of more imports and exports across the U.S.-Mexico border. By connecting expanding markets for our customers, this CPKC investment will accelerate growth between Mexico's industrial heartland and key points in the United States and Canada," Creel said.

Key Features of the Ottensmeyer Bridge:

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

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