CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA — Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) completed construction of a new international railway bridge that more than doubles its capacity at the US-Mexico border.

The Patrick J. Ottensmeyer International Railway Bridge spans the Rio Grande River from Laredo, Texas, US, to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. The Laredo crossing is the busiest in North America and the top crossing for US grain to Mexico, particularly corn, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Prior to this crossing, there was only one bridge allowing only 26 trains per day with traffic alternated between northbound and southbound traffic in four-hour windows, the USDA said.

The new bridge allows simultaneous bidirectional traffic.

“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, president and chief executive officer of CPKC. “This is an important milestone that keeps Laredo-Nuevo Laredo at the center of North American trade, allowing the secure and efficient movement of more imports and exports across the US-Mexico border.”

Kansas City Southern (KCS) broke ground on the project in late 2022 with the intention of accommodating growing trade between the United States and its largest trading partner, Mexico. The bridge name honors the last president and CEO of KCS, Patrick J. Ottensmeyer, who passed away in July 2024. KCS merged with Canadian Pacific in April 2023.

“Pat’s leadership and vision were instrumental in the development and successful completion of this project,” Creel said. “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.”

Key features of the $100 million rail bridge include: 

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