Ronnie Rivera Named General Manager of Eagle Pass International Bridge System
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2024
Eagle Pass, Texas City Manager Homero Balderas announced on Monday, July 8, 2024, that he had selected City Public Relations Director Ronnie Rivera as the new General Manager of the City of Eagle Pass International Bridge System, which manages two international bridges owned by the City of Eagle Pass, among many applicants for the key management position.
Balderas stated that Rivera previously to being employed at the City of Eagle Pass had management experience at the Middle Rio Grande Development Council for a number of years. Balderas added that Rivera has been employed with the City of Eagle Pass for five years, first as a Grant Writer within the City’s Finance Department and most recently as Public Relations Director under the City’s Marketing and Tourism Department led by Marketing Director Aide Castano.
Rivera fills the vacancy left at the critical City-owned enterprise entity after former Bridge System General Manager Homero Balderas was appointed by the Eagle Pass City Council as the new City Manager on February 6, 2024 after a 20 months long national search.
City Manager Homero Balderas chose to hire internally within the City of Eagle Pass after the City received many applications from candidates across the country.
The appointment of Rivera as the new General Manager of the Eagle Pass International Bridge System comes at a critical time for the City of Eagle Pass as it is in the midst of requesting an Amendment to its Presidential Permit for the Camino Real International Bridge (Bridge No. 2) to expand it from six lanes to 12 lanes. The Eagle Pass City Council awarded a $1.5 million contract to LJA Engineering on July 2, 2024 to assist the City file and obtain the Amendment to the Presidential Permit. Furthermore, the City of Eagle Pass is currently doing a multi-million dollar project to realign the transportation roads and logistics to the Camino Real International Bridge and the Port of Eagle Pass.
The two international bridges’ revenues provide annually up to 50 to 60% of funding for the City of Eagle Pass fiscal year budget, which currently is $60 million.
Rivera stated that he thanked City Manager Balderas for selecting him as the new General Manager of the Eagle Pass International Bridge System and having confidence in him for the position. Rivera added that he plans to analyze all pending projects at the City Bridge System and work towards fulfilling their goals as well as work on increasing export and import commercial vehicle traffic to the Camino Real International Bridge. He noted that he will be attending in the immediate future some key international bridge and trade conferences to promote the Eagle Pass International Bridge System.
City Manager Balderas noted that Rivera will commence his new duties as General Manager of the Eagle Pass International Bridge System on July 17, 2024 to allow the City’s Marketing and Tourism Department time to adjust to his leaving his current post as Public Relations Director.
