Cameron County bridge traffic growing

​BROWNSVILLE – After declining for seven years, crossings at Cameron County’s international bridges have increased for the second straight fiscal year.

According to a May bond-rating report from Fitch Ratings, total crossings at the county’s three bridges—Gateway International Bridge, Veterans International Bridge, and the Free Trade Bridge at Los Indios—grew by 4.3 percent to 5.3 million crossings in fiscal year 2015. In fiscal year 2014, crossings grew 1.8 percent.

The increase was from passenger and pedestrian traffic, which grew 3.1 percent and 6.4 percent, respectively. Commercial crossings decreased almost 2 percent. 

The situation is projected to​ improve as the system pays down its debt through 2031.