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 is not able to 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 oversize trucks that interrupt cross-border traffic on a regular basis. Additionally, trucks carrying hazardous materials pose a safety risk for the Douglas/Agua Prieta region.

The Two-Port Solution

The findings of the 2019 feasibility study concluded that the solution that will best address the concerns of the existing facility is a Two-Port Solution. 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 and bus traffic.

Funding

The site of the new commercial port of entry will be on a 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). A total of $400 million has been allotted to the project with $216 million being dedicated to the development of the new commercial port and $184 million being 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 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 is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) which will examine the possible effects that could arise from the 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 will continue to evaluate the potential impact of the port construction project through Fall 2023. As part of the EIS process, GSA will conduct public meetings to gather input from the local community and key stakeholders. The EIS documents are available for review.