Rio Hondo Businesses Hopeful Bridge Fest Boosts Economy During Bridge Closure
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Rio Hondo businesses are hoping "Bridge Fest" will bring in new customers.
Many places took a hit following the closure of the bridge back in 2016.
"I would say our business (is down) maybe 30 to 40 percent," said Roman Gil with Gil's Service Station.
Gil's car shop is right by the bridge, a spot he said is prefect when the bridge was open.
"It's a ghost town on this side, nobody passes through here. We used to get a lot people who come with their boats to go fishing. They always stop here with flats or whatever. We don't see that many of them, unless they really have a blowout they come back this way," said Gil.
Since the closure in September of 2016, he said he's been relying mostly on regulars.
"We have customers, they come from outside areas, San Benito, Harlingen and stuff like that," said Gil.
Gil and the city are hoping this weekend's festival brings in fresh faces.
"That's the purpose of doing this. It's to remind the public, Rio Hondo still exists, we still have our businesses here in town," said Gustavo Olivares, the major of Rio Hondo.
One concern Gil has is how there technically isn't a bridge at "Bridge Fest" as it's still closed for repairs.
Mayor Olivares said while it was supposed to go along with the bridge's re-opening, he said plans for this festival began well before the closure.
"The biggest thing we have in Rio Hondo (is the bridge) it's one of the biggest things and it's an honor for us to have. The incorporation of the 'Bridge Fest' title is something no matter what if it's open or it's closed it's something which was going to be incorporated into this program regarding to this event," said Olivares.
Gil hopes this event will bring more business to the town while they wait for the bridge to open back up.
If the festival goes well, Olivares says, they'll try to make this a yearly event.
According to TxDOT, the bridge is expected to reopen in June or July.
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