Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) in a Feb. 6 ribbon-cutting ceremony dedicated the Patrick J. Ottensmeyer International Railway Bridge, the new second span crossing the Rio Grande linking Laredo, Tex., with Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Its name honors the last President and CEO of Kansas City Southern (KCS), who died in July 2024. The bridge was completed in December 2024
”The name Patrick J. Ottensmeyer will forever be a part of the proud history of Kansas City Southern and the legacy of CPKC,” said Keith Creel, CPKC President and CEO. “Pat believed strongly in the work our railroaders do every day enabling trade amongst great nations. His leadership and vision led to the development and completion of the second span of the international bridge between the United States and Mexico at North America’s largest inland gateway. Having it bear his name is a fitting tribute to a remarkable leader and person.”
Completion of this $100 million rail bridge and track work, built to accommodate growing trade between the U.S. and its largest trading partner, Mexico, “expands the capacity of the most secure and efficient railway trade corridor between the U.S. and Mexico,” CPKC noted upon the bridge’s completion. “The Ottensmeyer bridge is the only railroad bridge crossing the Rio Grande River linking Laredo and Nuevo Laredo across the international border.”
KCS broke ground on the project in late 2022. Key features of the Ottensmeyer Bridge, for which a U.S. Presidential Permit for construction was received in July 2020:
- New second bridge with total length of 1,170 feet.
- Ballasted deck plate girder bridge built with six reinforced concrete piers.
- Second track bridge constructed on the right-of-way roughly 35 feet from the existing bridge, allowing bidirectional cross-border movements.
- 4,500 feet of new track.
- Enhanced border security investments, including a new VACIS X-ray railcar inspection system and surveillance cameras.
“Completion of this internationally important project more than doubles our capacity to move freight through the border at the largest international trade port of entry in North America,” said Creel, Railway Age’s 2021 and, with Ottensmeyer, 2022 Railroader of the Year. “This is an important milestone that keeps Laredo-Nuevo Laredo at the center of North American trade, allowing the secure and efficient movement of more imports and exports across the U.S.-Mexico border. By linking expanding markets for our customers, this CPKC investment will accelerate growth between the industrial heartland of Mexico and points across the United States and Canada. Pat’s leadership and vision were instrumental in the development and successful completion of this project. His legacy lives on in the work we do at CPKC each and every day, enabling growing international trade across three great nations—Canada, the United States and Mexico.”
