Construction began on the Anzalduas International Bridge in June 2007 on the US side and August 2007 on the Mexican side, and is well on its way toward the scheduled completion date of June 2009. The US-Mexican bridge will span the Rio Grande from the town of Mission, Texas, to the town of Reynosa in Tamaulipas, Mexico. The 3-mile bridge is expected to cost about $168 million and create hundreds of new jobs in the area. Governments on both sides of the border are lobbying to allow commercial and cargo vehicles across the bridge. The two towns are both fast growing border towns and the hope is that the bridge will bring in more growth in commercial traffic on both sides. The project has taken 14 years of planning and negotiation. The two towns on either side of the border – Mission on the American side and Reynosa on the Mexican side – have been experiencing unprecedented growth during the past decade. Mission, itself, has been attracting such high-end companies as Panasonic, Black & Decker, and Tractor Supply & Co. In addition, a nearly 40-acre development featuring a brand new Target and H-E-B Plus Grocery has sprung up and is attracting some big retail stores like TJ Maxx, Office Depot, and Petco. New subdivisions are being constructed, including residential, retail, schools, and other businesses with some high-end homes ranging in price from $80,000 all the way up to nearly $1 million. Meanwhile, officials on both sides of the Rio Grande are confident that the bridge will stay on course for its opening date of June 2009 and are making sure they both deliver a solid, quality construction with frequent meetings and constant overview of the project.