TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Governor Doug Ducey announced Thursday plans to allocate $8.9 million to help fund the second port of entry planned in Douglas, five miles west of the Raul H. Castro Port of Entry.
The new port was approved with bipartisan support and received funding from an infrastructure bill in 2019, with initial funding provided by that same legislation.
The existing port of entry, now nearly 90 years old, serves about 31,000 commercial vehicles each year, and was determined to lack the capacity to handle that volume of traffic.
“Billions of dollars worth of goods pass through the Raul H. Castro port of entry in Douglas every year,” said Douglas Mayor Donald Huish. “This investment will help our city modernize this vitally important trade route. This investment will promote trade and facilitate cross-border travel for visitors and tourists, major economic drivers for our community."
Ducey says the 'two-port solution' is a component of larger plans to develop the Douglas International Commercial Corridor, and will included increased development near the new port of entry. The downtown crossing should see relief from commercial truck traffic once the new port opens—an improvement, according to Ducey, for commuters, visitors and pedestrians.
"A modernized port in Douglas will allow for increased trade, tourism, transportation and broadband, opening new pathways for economic collaboration," Ducey said. "And beyond business, many people in Arizona have family ties in Mexico that go back generations.”
The additional funds for the second port of entry were allocated from the American Rescue plan, the administration says. These funds will be used for "water initiatives for wastewater, groundwater, and storage," according to Ducey's team, which he says will allow the local government to apply existing federal funds toward the port itself.
The U.S. General Services Administration sets the timeline for project completion at Spring 2028.
The US Department of Transportation said in 2021, Douglas was the northbound gateway for 28,745 trucks, 1.22 million cars and 2.54 million total people.
“This investment will energize Cochise County’s economy,” said Cochise County Supervisor Ann English. “The port in Douglas is more than a stop on the road, it’s a gateway to revitalizing our economy, facilitating our positive trade relationship with our neighbors to the south. Thank you to Governor Ducey for helping to ease transportation with our biggest trading partner: Mexico.”
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Anne Simmons is the digital executive producer for KGUN 9. Anne got her start in television while still a student at the University of Arizona. Before joining KGUN, she managed multiple public access television stations in the Bay Area and has worked as a video producer in the non-profit sector. Share your story ideas and important issues with Anne by emailing anne.simmons@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
