Congresswoman Escobar Celebrates Announcement of BOTA Modernization Project Industry Day

Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) celebrated the announcement that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will be hosting an Industry Day for the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) Land Port of Entry Modernization Project later this month.

"I'm proud to share that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will be announcing the three Design-Build finalist teams and encouraging small businesses in El Paso to network and seek potential partnerships. This marks yet another important milestone in the progress of the $500 million modernization of the Bridge of the Americas," said Congresswoman Escobar. "I'm encouraging local contractors to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by attending GSA's Industry Day on Monday July 27, 2026 from 1 pm to 4 pm at the EPCC Opportunity Center. I'm grateful to GSA for making local businesses a priority with their Industry Day and excited about the opportunity this presents."

The Industry Day, which will be held on Monday, July 27^th at the EPCC Administrative Services Center Contractor Opportunities Center from 1-4pm MT, is an event for small businesses, subcontractors, suppliers and construction professionals to meet the three shortlisted Design-Build teams competing for the primary project contract.

Congresswoman Escobar's Push to Remove Commercial Traffic and Prioritize El Pasoans at the Bridge of the Americas:

• August 2022 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted a meeting with GSA to kick off stakeholder engagement for the BOTA modernization. Local government, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), Department of State, HOME, neighborhood associations near the bridge and other stakeholders attended to learn about the process. GSA committed to robust community engagement throughout the design concept and environmental impact process.
• Fall 2022 - GSA hosted a series of community meetings where the Congresswoman helped ensure local community members were present and their voices heard at the highest levels.
• April 7, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar met with GSA to provide feedback on concerns and issues shared with her by El Paso stakeholders.
• July 5, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar met with members of the San Xavier, Chamizal, and Washington-Delta neighborhood associations regarding their experiences with past construction projects impacting their communities and their concerns about the BOTA modernization project.
• July 19, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar sent a letter to GSA requesting a Health Impact Assessment to be included as part of the Environmental Impact Survey process.
• October 19, 2023 -Congresswoman Escobar announced a series of listening sessions on BOTA with various stakeholders and sent out an email survey asking constituents their opinion on commercial traffic at BOTA.
• October 27, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted a convening of governmental stakeholders- United States federally, Texas state, local and Ciudad Juarez and State ofChihuahua attending.
• November 13, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted a virtual town hall with a legislative update, including an update on the BOTA LPOE modernization project, with over 2,000 constituents in attendance.
• November 17, 2023 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted a listening session with US and Mexico industry leaders (maquilas, custom brokers, trucking companies, etc).
• January 2024 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted a listening session at the Chamizal Recreational Center with GSA, IBWC, and CBP leadership to hear from the community members including Familias Unidas, San Xavier and Washington-Delta Neighborhood Associations.
• May 2024 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted a meeting with GSA, CBP, City and County to discuss BOTA and what can be done for City and County to prepare for additional traffic at other ports of entry.
• July 2024 - Congresswoman Escobar hosted an update meeting with local and federal governmental stakeholders for BOTA, including Juarez Mayor and ANAM Director.
• May 2025 - Congresswoman Escobar joined GSA in announcing the final Record of Decision.
• June 2026 - Congresswoman Escobar joined GSA in announcing BOTA Project moved to Design-Build phase.