New Mexico to invest US$60 million to improve infrastructure at the Borderplex

NEW MEXICO – Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the release of more than $60 million for infrastructure investments in the New Mexico Borderplex, supporting the state’s economic development and global trade, primarily for the Santa Teresa area.

The recently enacted funding for the state’s border region includes nearly $40 million for the Border Highway Connector, a new roadway to the Santa Teresa port of entry and that area’s Industrial Park directly with Sunland Park, streamlining the flow of cross-border traffic and reducing commute times for Doña Ana County workers.

Also, $20 million is contemplated to expand the Doña Ana County International Airport to accommodate heavy cargo, allowing for air transport of goods and manufactured materials; while another $4 million would be earmarked for an elevated water storage tank in Santa Teresa to support business expansion and supplement existing water infrastructure.

The Lujan Grisham administration has made economic development in the Borderplex a priority, working with the Border Industrial Association of New Mexico (BIA) to bring new growth to the southern part of the state.

In a 2021 economic impact report from the BIA, NMSU’s Border Economic Development Center and the Arrowhead Center found that in 2020 alone, investments in jobs and infrastructure at the Santa Teresa Port of Entry and area Industrial Parks supported nearly 5,000 jobs and generated $959 million in economic impact for the state.

Santa Teresa’s industrial base facilitated $24 billion in international trade in 2020, a compound annual growth rate of 5.8% since 2010. Out of 167 land ports nationwide, Santa Teresa’s port of entry ranks seventh in total trade.

This year’s funding follows previous state Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) investments in the region that secured economic expansion and spurred job creation, generating state revenues and benefiting local communities.

In September 2021, two international manufacturing companies announced plans to expand to New Mexico – both Tecma, a manufacturing company specializing in protected services, and Ergomotion, Inc. the world’s largest bed base manufacturer, established new facilities in the region to take advantage of the access the area offers to domestic and international trade.

In addition, national wind and solar energy provider WTEC Energy would expand into New Mexico, retrofitting a defunct plant in Doña Ana County to manufacture renewable energy components and create more than 300 new jobs in southern New Mexico.

Recently, the New Mexico Border Authority requested $170 million in federal funding to completely remodel the existing Santa Teresa port of entry. The traffic flow and facility improvements will significantly streamline trade operations between El Paso-Juarez-Santa Teresa.

Source: MEXICONOW Staff