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Now Entering Nogales – Part I: Bigger, Better, Busier

Moving forward and putting its stamp on the North American produce trade
MS_Now Entering Nogales

Read Part II
Read Part III

Mangos in November? Pears in December? Thank Nogales for a steady supply of fresh fruit and vegetables from Mexico, keeping retailer shelves stocked year-round.

Though it shares its name with a sizeable city in the state of Sonora in Mexico, the U.S. version of Nogales spans a mere 20.8 miles and is home to fewer than 21,000 residents. It is, nonetheless, a powerhouse of international trade ushering in more than 50 types of Mexican-grown fruits and vegetables through its port of entry.

Billions of dollars of fresh produce cross the border, employing thousands and keeping hundreds of trucks on the road each day. The Mariposa Port of Entry is not only a bustling nerve center for the fresh produce industry, but a major economic driver for Santa Cruz County and the state of Arizona.

Of Great Import
The Nogales deal keeps suppliers in the border town on their toes, as Mexico’s winter growing season (from October to May or June) keeps brokers, truckers, and wholesalers moving tons of perishables throughout the United Statesand Canada.

Much of Nogales’ bounty goes to the West Coast, with lesser quantities to the Midwest and Eastern Seaboard, with rival port of entry McAllen, Texas sending more trucks eastward. Though the two ports jockey for the title of top border crossing, each is an indispensable part of the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain.

Bigger, Better, Busier
Of course, things haven’t always been rosy for the Mariposa Port and the many residents and businesses that depend on it. Up until its reopening in late 2014, the port was plagued by chronic congestion and nightmarish delays. Representing one of the U.S. General Services Administration’s largest investments to date, construction of the port’s $244 million expansion and modernization kicked off in 2009 as a “shovel ready” project.

The improved Mariposa Port was designed to increase the speed and accuracy of processing and to minimize legendary delays. As a result of the expansion, wait times at Mariposa have plummeted from a whopping seven hours to just one hour or less—a rather significant achievement.

In addition, highway infrastructure improvements are in the works, which should further improve the flow of traffic through Mariposa. Under changes approved by the Arizona State Transportation Board, the highway improvement project will reportedly begin in 2019, two years ahead of schedule. The $40 million project will improve a 3.75-mile section of State Route 189, including the construction of a flyover ramp connecting the highway to busy northbound Interstate 19.

Modern and Green
The recent Mariposa Port expansion was also constructed with a focus on environmentally-friendly construction and sustainability.

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