RGV Partnership Launches RGV Connect Forum to Strengthen Regional Connectivity

RGV Partnership hosted the RGV Connect Transportation and Trade Forum, a strategic session that gathered regional leaders to analyze challenges and opportunities in infrastructure, connectivity, and economic development across the Rio Grande Valley.

The event was organized in collaboration with Mission Economic Development Corporation and marked the formal launch of a regional agenda aimed at strengthening logistics competitiveness in South Texas.

Following opening remarks by Paco Sánchez, President of the RGV Partnership, and Teclo García, CEO of Mission EDC, the panel discussion was moderated by Ron Garza from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The conversation focused on improving regional connectivity to support binational trade.

Infrastructure investment and strategic mobility

Among the panelists, Pete Sepulveda Jr., Administrator of Cameron County and Executive Director of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority, presented a US$2 billion infrastructure framework designed to support the growth of strategic sectors including energy, aerospace, and national security.

Sepulveda emphasized that the Valley remains the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a fully developed interstate corridor, highlighting the urgency of completing projects such as the Interstate 69 connector.

Ports, bridges, and logistics challenges

Walker Smith, Director of the Port of Harlingen, noted that the port supplies roughly 70% of the fuel consumed in the region, but acknowledged that rail infrastructure remains a key weakness that must be addressed to strengthen logistics capacity and connect heavy freight corridors more efficiently.

Representing the City of Donna, Jesús Reyna and Marisela Gonzales outlined an US$80 million project to expand the Donna–Rio Bravo International Bridge and enable full commercial traffic operations. They also noted that the International Bridge Trade Corridor remains stalled due to funding challenges, limiting the crossing’s potential growth.

Building a regional strategy

Regional connectivity emerged as the central theme of the discussion. Participants agreed on the need to complete interstate highways, strengthen rail infrastructure, integrate overweight freight corridors, and promote coordinated planning among the Valley’s four counties to secure stronger state and federal support.

Regarding funding strategies, Sepulveda stressed the importance of developing legislative tools capable of generating sustainable investment sources rather than relying solely on isolated funding allocations.

Panelists also highlighted that the upcoming review of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement and continued nearshoring trends could significantly increase trade with Mexico, reinforcing the urgency of modernizing border infrastructure.

A platform for regional collaboration

RGV Connect was introduced as a permanent platform for dialogue that will help define and promote the region’s strategic agenda, with the goal of positioning the Rio Grande Valley as a key node in North American binational trade.