In 1908, future vice president John Nance Garner IV presented a bill to congress that would allow the construction of a bridge to span the river and connect the railways.

The bridge was intended to serve all land-based international traffic, including pedestrian, animal-drawn, automobile and rail.

In spite of the enlargements, increasing traffic demands made the combined usage of the bridge problematic.

Automobile traffic on both sides of the US and Mexican border had to be halted to allow trains to cross.

The new bridge features a central concrete divider and a separate pedestrian sidewalk.

Bridge maintenance, security and administration is maintained on the US side, which is also where tolls are collected.