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7/30/2010Infrastructure Improvement

BNSF completes 'Chihuahuita Connection' at U.S.-Mexico border

BNSF Railway Co. recently completed the “Chihuahuita Connection” along the El Paso, Texas/Juarez, Mexico gateway.

In conjunction with a planned grade separation project in the city of Juarez, the connection is expected to significantly reduce freight congestion at a U.S.-Mexico border crossing in Juarez and El Paso, according to BNSF.

Operating since early June, the connection provides the Class I improved operational flexibility and bolstered border infrastructure to support trade between the U.S. and Mexico, BNSF officials said in a prepared statement. The connection also will enable the railroad to reduce train movements through a Chihuahuita neighborhood crossing up to 50 percent.

The connection was completed through a joint effort between the Texas Department of Transportation, city of El Paso and BNSF. The project was funded by American Recovery and Rehabilitation Act dollars and BNSF.