U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced that vehicular traffic at the Juarez-Lincoln Bridge in Laredo, Texas, will be temporarily halted on the morning of Saturday, February 21. The closure is scheduled to accommodate the International Bridge Ceremony, also known as the Abrazo Ceremony.
According to Port Director Alberto Flores of the Laredo Port of Entry, "The Juarez-Lincoln Bridge will host this longstanding tradition, serving as a welcoming ceremony for officials and dignitaries from both Mexico and the United States, and representing goodwill between our neighboring countries." Flores added, "We encourage travelers to plan accordingly and cross either earlier or later to minimize potential delays."
CBP stated that all northbound and southbound vehicular and commercial bus traffic at the bridge will stop at approximately 5 a.m. on February 21 to allow for stage construction for the event. Traffic is expected to resume by 9 a.m. Travelers who need to use this route are encouraged to cross before 5 a.m.
As an alternative during the closure, CBP said that Colombia-Solidarity Bridge will open at 6 a.m. on Saturday for public use. The Gateway to the Americas Bridge will remain open for Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection participants as well as all pedestrian traffic.
CBP reminded travelers about using entry documents equipped with radio frequency identification technology when crossing through designated Ready Lanes.
Border wait times can be checked online through CBP’s official website (https://bwt.cbp.gov/index.html), or via its mobile application available on Apple App Store and Google Play.
CBP describes itself as America’s largest law enforcement organization with over 67,000 employees responsible for border security across land, air, and sea domains.
