Port of Entry Project

Background

Douglas is currently being served by the Raul H. Castro Port of Entry which was constructed in 1933 and expanded in 1993. In a 2019 feasibility study conducted by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), it was determined that the Raul H. Castro Port of Entry cannot adequately meet traffic demands nor the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) mission requirements.

The existing port maneuvers inbound and outbound commercial traffic within the same undersized commercial vehicle inspection compound, which slows traffic. There is a need to relocate overweight and oversized trucks that interrupt cross-border traffic regularly. Additionally, trucks carrying hazardous materials pose a safety risk for the Douglas/Agua Prieta region.

The Two-Port Solution

The 2019 feasibility study's findings concluded that a two-port solution will best address the concerns of the existing facility. The Two-Port Solution includes the construction of a new commercial port and the expansion and modernization of the existing Raul H. Castro Port of Entry.

The Douglas Commercial Port of Entry is a planned commercial land port construction project 4.5 miles west of Douglas city limits. Once completed, CBP will relocate commercial inspection operations from the Raul H. Castro Port of Entry to the newly constructed dedicated commercial port. The new port will expand commercial vehicle inspection capacity and allow the processing of oversized mining equipment that is too large to cross through the Raul H. Castro port.

Additionally, GSA will modernize and expand the Raul H. Castro port of entry which will be strictly dedicated to pedestrian, passenger vehicle, bike, and bus traffic.

Funding

The site of the new commercial port of entry will be on an 80.49-acre parcel that was donated to the GSA from the City of Douglas. The Two-Port Solution project received funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). More than $400 million has been allotted to the project with approximately $216 million dedicated to the development of the new commercial port and $195 million dedicated to the rehabilitation of the Raul H. Castro Port of Entry.

Utility and Infrastructure Planning

The proposed location of the commercial port is on undeveloped land without a roadway or utility infrastructure. The city along with its partners are working together to ensure that the infrastructure necessary to support this investment is brought to bear in a timely fashion to support the ports of entry and the anticipated investment in commercial, industrial, and related developments.

Environmental Review

GSA completed an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which examined the possible effects that could arise from the expansion of the Raul H. Castro Port of Entry and the development of a new commercial port of entry.

GSA began its programmatic environmental impact statement process in Spring 2022 and finalized it on June 20, 2024. GSA selected Alternative 2 from the EIS which entails concurrent construction and westward expansion as the preferred environmental strategy. As part of the EIS process, GSA conducted public meetings and gathered input from the local community and key stakeholders. The EIS documents are available for review.

To find out the latest update on the project's progress, click here: POE FACT SHEET.