Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge
Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge | |
|---|---|
Administration office and Pedestrian Lane at B&M Bridge in 2006 | |
| Coordinates | 25°53′31″N 97°30′16″W / 25.8919°N 97.5044°W |
| Carries | Vehicle and pedestrian |
| Crosses | Rio Grande |
| Begins | Brownsville, Texas, U.S. |
| Ends | Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Official name | Brownsville & Matamoros Bridge |
| Other name(s) | B&M International Bridge Brownsville-Matamoros International Bridge Express Bridge |
| Owner | Government of Mexico and Union Pacific Railroad Company |
| Preceded by | Gateway International Bridge |
| Followed by | Free Trade International Bridge |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 227 ft (69 m) |
| No. of spans | 1 |
| No. of lanes | 4 |
| Rail characteristics | |
| No. of tracks | 1 (defunct) |
| History | |
| Constructed by | Brownsville and Matamoros Bridge Company |
| Construction start | April 1909 |
| Construction cost | US$225,000 (1910) |
| Opened | December 12, 1910 |
| Location | |
The Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge, also known as B&M International Bridge, and Express Bridge, is one of three international bridges that cross the U.S.-Mexico border between the cities of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros, Tamaulipas. This international bridge unites the Matamoros–Brownsville Metropolitan Area, which counts with a population of 1,136,995, making it the 4th largest metropolitan area in the Mexico-US border.
It is popularly called the "Old Bridge" (Spanish: Puente Viejo) because its original incarnation, still standing, is the city's oldest international bridge. In 1999, Texas state Historical marker 11778 was placed at the site by the Texas Historical Commission and the Cameron County Historical Commission to recognize the bridge's historical significance.