The Entrance to the Pacific Corridor

The Entrance to the Pacific Corridor is a state and federally designated trade corridor from Texas to Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, Mexico, and continuing to the Mexican Pacific port of Topolobampo in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. Chihuahua is one of the four largest trading partner states with the United States, and this new corridor would capture a majority of this trade for Texas. Long term, after the completion of a highway from Chihuahua City to Topolobampo, and improvement of rail facilities, it would offer Texas with long-term access to a Pacific deep water port that is approximately 500 miles closer and much less expensive than the Port of Los Angeles.

The concept of this major new trade corridor was developed jointly by MOTRAN Alliance and the Departments of Economic Development of the States of Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Durango. All four entities support the development of this corridor strongly. The concept was originally endorsed by Governor Patricio Martìnez Garcìa of Chihuahua, Governor Angel Sergio Guerrero Mier of Durango, and Governor Juan S. Millàn Lizàrraga of Sinaloa and Governor George Bush of Texas.

Trade with Chihuahua

According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, trade with Mexico continues to grow and provides tremendous benefits to the State of Texas. In 2002, Texas exported over $37.6 billion in goods to Mexico. By far, the largest amount of goods, $13.6 billion, is destined for Chihuahua. In addition, the Pacific seaport connections of La Entrada al Pacifico will enable a more direct and less congested route to take advantage of the growing Asian-Pacific markets.

Present Corridors into Western Mexico

Nearly all trade with Western Mexico now passes through the ports of El Paso and Juarez. The bridge and port facilities at the crossings in El Paso-Juarez are already overloaded, thus motivating the construction of the Santa Teresa crossing approximately 20 miles west of El Paso, into the state of New Mexico. This crossing along with a proposed north-south interstate highway in southeast Arizona, will essentially direct all of the growth in trade with Western Mexico into Arizona and New Mexico and will totally bypass the state of Texas. A study that was done by McCray Research indicates that this trade wants to go northeast.

Economic Opportunities along La Entrada Al Pacifico Corridor

With the volume of present and future trade with Chihuahua, Durango and Sinaloa, as well as the Pacific Rim Countries, there will be enormous opportunities for warehousing, distribution, sub-assembly and assembly of imports, as well as manufacturing warehousing and distribution of exports, all in the state of Texas. Texas already has the basic infrastructure in areas along the proposed corridor to take advantage of these types of businesses. It is estimated that these businesses can result in substantial additional employment and economic impact for Texas if the corridor proposed herein is developed.

Texas Cities Which Will Benefit from this proposed corridor will be all cities in West and Central Texas. Those cities located along Interstate Highways I-20 and I-10 will benefit most in that they will then have direct access to Western Mexico and the Pacific. This includes Dallas, Fort Worth, Abilene, Midland and Odessa. If the corridor is completed north from the Midland/Odessa area, then the cities along I-27 including Lubbock, Plainview and Amarillo will also benefit heavily from this corridor.

Secondarily, all cities in West and Central Texas, which have good access to I-27, I-20 or I-10, will benefit considerably due to access to these new markets.

Updates

In late 2003, the State of Chihuahua finished the initial phase of La Entrada al Pacifico in Mexico with completion of the new highway between Chihuahua City and Ojinaga. This road cuts the driving time in half over the existing roadway, and provides an excellent roadway for transporting delicate freight materials.

Since completion of the road, commercial border crossings have increased over 300% at Presidio/Ojinaga.

Construction by Glamis, Ltd. continues on the second phase of the project, with construction of a new roadway through the Copper Canyon area between Chihuahua and Sinaloa. Governor Reyes Baeza of Chihuahua, Mexico and Governor Aguilar of Sinaloa have both committed their administrations’ resources to completion of the project in Mexico in the next five years.