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September 25, 2000 9:20 AM, EDT

The Colombia Bridge over the Rio Grande outside Laredo, Texas, will get a high-capacity truck connector to Interstate 35 on Oct. 18 with the opening of Camino Colombia, a new toll road.

The Texas connector comes three years after the international bridge opened to much acclaim. Colombia was the first span built outside of downtown Laredo and was designed to carry truck traffic. But critics say it hasn’t reached its potential because of access problems.

The four-lane connector will offer truckers a straight north-south shot from Colombia Bridge to and from I-35, bypassing the city. It also provides access to and from U.S. Highway 83 and State Highway 44.

There will be a cost, however, and the owners of the privately built highway expect to make a profit. Tolls will be $12 per truck and $3 for cars.

For the full story, see the Sept. 25 print edition of Transport Topics. .