PROGRESO INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE

Bridge over the Rio Grande River,  on the Mexican border.

Traffic, huge lines of loaded trucks, pedestrians and long waits. That’s what we think of when planning to cross the Progreso International Bridge back into the United States. Some times we’ve waited over an hour on this short stretch of concrete between the Mexican exit point and U.S. Border Customs.

Nuevo Progreso is a huge town that sits conveniently right on the border. It developed over the years as a safe, user friendly tourist place where people could walk across the border to shop or they could use their motorized wheel chairs to access the many stores, pharmacies and dentist offices that are available. February 3, 2018 over 7,000 tourists were counted in one day coming through the checkpoint in Nuevo Progreso.  This is no longer a sleepy little Mexican village.

Huge trucks crossing the bridge into Mexico.

Tandem trucks line the bridge on some days, entering Mexico filled with grain from nearby elevators. Trucks entering the United States are filled with fruits, vegetables, grain headed for the elevators, gravel and other items.    The bridge was built to carry extremely heavy loads such as these.  It’s a good thing that there is a separate extension of the bridge for the volume and the size of the trucks entering the U.S.

The first 2 lane bridge was built on this location in 1952, but it was replaced by a much sturdier structure and increased to six lanes in 2003.  This is the most heavily traveled bridge for tourism in the Rio Grande Valley and Nuevo Progreso is the most popular destination.

Mexican Marines stand guard on the Mexican side of the bridge.

We spend a lot of time on this bridge waiting in long lines of traffic to reach customs, show our passports and answer questions about what we purchased in Mexico. Once in a while we are asked to pull over into an inspection lane where officers check our Jeep for drugs or other items that we are not allowed to bring into the States. It takes a lot of patience, especially after a long day when we’re more than ready to go home. 

The owners of the Progreso bridge have a heart for missions. For many years they have graciously allowed us to cross the bridge into Mexico without charge, saving us a lot of money over time.

We have had the experience of seeing with our own eyes the situation on the border between the United States and Mexico. We know how much attention is given to vehicles and whether or not permission is given for entry. Also, parts of the WALL are visible from the bridge. It’s a different scenario from what is portrayed on the national news. 

We never cross the bridge into Mexico without first praying for protection and for God's guidance. It’s a serious thing to leave our country and enter a foreign land.

In reality, Nuevo Progreso has become a lot more than a tourist spot. It is home to thousands of Mexican people who have come from their homes in the south to be closer to the U.S. border. There are people here from almost every southern state and even Central America. Some of these people have arts and crafts to sell while others are searching for employment in order to care for their families. Whatever the reasons, they feel there are more opportunities for them in Nuevo Progreso.

"And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things."  Mark 6:34