SEATTLE - The proposed bridge around the Tijuana River connecting both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border is being heavily criticized and labelled by environmental and humanitarian aid organizations as a waste of resources.
For over a year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has overseen the construction of a bridge over the Tijuana River that is supposed to give Border Patrol agents an easier way to traverse the river. The structure, which will include 30-foot-tall steel bollard fences, lighting and a 20-foot-wide roadway and a maintenance walkway, The structure will also include water control gates to regulate the flow of water and debris to be operated by agents.
But according to critics of the project, the bridge could create future problems for the area such as flooding and water contamination, as well as representing an issue for migrants seeking asylum in the U.S.
A study conducted by Zeppelin Floods in 2019, showed that the bridge could cause flooding in downtown Tijuana if agents fail to open the gates fast enough during a storm or in the event of a malfunction. The study was commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The investigation into the area showed that water could back up and flow into neighborhoods directly south of the area, including Tijuana's famed Zone Norte, where many bars, nightclubs, brothels and strip joints are located.
Despite environmental concerns, the project was approved after a waiver was issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security in February 2019.
U.S. Border Patrol agents like Justin Castrejon told Border Report that the bridge is needed in the area, because there is no physical barrier preventing people from making illegal entry, arguing that adding a bridge would be "a great tool for us to mitigate those illegal entries."
Pedro Rios, director of the American Friends Service Committee and critic of the project, labelled the infrastructure as a "boondoggle of a project," arguing that the area does not need this sort of level of security as well as addressing the environmental and flooding concerns that the bridge would cause.
"The flooding could affect working class neighborhoods in Tijuana, and considering that the waters that are flowing through here are extremely polluted, it can cause greater long-term health concerns," Rios said.
Historically, the Tijuana River has contained high levels of untreated sewage from Tijuana. Currently, an estimated 40 to 50 million gallons of water tainted with sewage are flowing into the United States through the Tijuana River on a daily basis.
Earlier this month, The Latin Times reported that a California lawmaker announced a $400 million contract had been awarded to refurbish a plant dedicated to treating wastewater in Tijuana.
Several stretches of beach in San Diego County have been closed in recent months due to sewage spills with bacteria counts that exceeded the state's health standard for recreational waters. In fact, The LA Times reports that The Tijuana Slough Shoreline, which extends north from the U.S.-Mexico border, has been closed since late 2021 due to high bacteria levels.
Rios and others have said CBP and DHS have totally ignored public input submitted before construction of the project began.
"What we see here is a complete dismissal of what environmental groups, humanitarian groups and human rights groups brought forth about building such large infrastructure with potentially devastating consequences," Rios said.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas authorized CBP to move forward with the project on May of 2022 to address life, safety, environmental, or other remediation requirements.
In 2020, the cost of the project was believed to be about $260 million, according to reports, though the exact cost of the project now remains unknown.
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