LAREDO, TX – For the past 23 years, the City of Laredo has organized the ‘Área de Descanso Paisano’ to assist Mexican citizens returning home from the United States and Canada.
This unique binational project is offered only in Laredo, Texas. The City’s Convention and Visitors Bureau is working with the Consulate General of Mexico to establish the rest area; however, there are many municipal, state and federal departments and agencies on both sides of the border joining together to assist paisanos.
The Paisano rest area will again be on southbound IH-35, just off Mile 13, beginning Friday, December 16 at 12:00 p.m. and closing at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, December 18, 2022, as reported by City Hall.
The rest area will be staffed with people to help check and provide necessary documents and orientation for travelers. Information on bridge wait times, directions, simple mechanical assistance, refreshments, restroom facilities and simply a chance to rest and stretch your legs are all free and offered in this space.
Mexican immigration authorities will have computer workstations for travelers to process their documentation electronically. Visitors are encouraged to make sure they have proper documentation; this will help provide a smoother and faster experience.
Additional information provided at the rest area includes hotel and restaurant listings; U.S. Customs regulations for return travel; legitimate listing of naturalization processing companies; reporting procedures and crime reports to the Mexican Consulate and local agencies; volunteer mechanic on call to perform an initial inspection, minor car repairs; Mexican immigration and consular regulations and forms; and free copies.
The Laredo government reported that posters and electronic messages will be posted from south of San Antonio, Texas. Local, state and federal officials will patrol along IH-35 South to offer assistance to paisanos in need of help, including security, traffic control and roadside assistance. The exit to the rest area will be marked with additional signage, especially for those traveling at night or who are unfamiliar with the detour to the facility.
Paisanos traveling to Mexico through Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas should take Bridge I, Gateway to the Americas, to avoid traffic congestion along IH-35 at Bridge II, Juarez-Lincoln. Motorists exit at exit #4 Del Mar to Santa Maria Avenue; they should continue south to Bridge I. As they approach downtown, additional signage will guide them to the international bridge.
Along the alternate route to Bridge I, exiting Santa Maria Avenue, portable restroom facilities at various locations along the route will be marked with specific Paisano signage. Hours of operation begin on Friday, December 16 and will remain in effect during the peak travel period.
Paisanos wishing to avoid congestion altogether can take the Solidaridad-Colombia Bridge (Bridge III) to Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Extended holiday hours of operation for Bridge III will be December 16, opening at 8:00 a.m. and continuing until December 18 at midnight or until all traffic clears from the span. Normal hours of operation on the Solidaridad-Colombia Bridge are from 8:00 a.m. to midnight.
For regular AVI motorists who cross daily, there will be a specially designated crossing route to take you to Bridge II to avoid traffic congestion from paisanos and downtown shoppers beginning the morning of December 9 and will remain in place through December 27. Local drivers should be aware of additional holiday traffic over the next few days and exercise caution and patience when traveling through downtown areas and around major shopping centers.
Finally, for updated changes to the laws regarding Mexican citizens returning to Mexico for the vacations and vehicle importation laws, as well as, for U.S. or other foreign citizens traveling to Mexico, regarding the documents they must have to facilitate this process, interested parties may consult Mexican authorities.
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