OVERVIEW OF THE TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER: BACKGROUND. INTERIM REPORT

Economic growth along the Texas-Mexico border has prompted new concerns regarding the adequacy of that area's transportation infrastructure. In response, both the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Texas Turnpike Authority (TTA) are investigating ways in which the border infrastructure might be upgraded, either through new bridges and/or by linking new and existing bridges to major highway facilities. As part of this statewide planning effort, the Center for Transportation Research (CTR), under the auspices of TxDOT and TTA, has conducted a planning-level needs study along the 1,230-mile (1,980-km) Texas-Mexico border. This report, the first in a series of six defines the study's scope, organization, research problem, research approach, and methodology. In addition, it includes a comprehensive description of the border's binational entry systems and road networks, along with a bilingual glossary of border-related terminology.