Brownsville, Texas - The first rail bridge between Mexico and the United States in 106 years is set to open in an effort that lasted more than 15 years.

The final inspection for the bridge was on April 2, and now U.S. and Mexican officials have to coordinate to set a date to begin traffic. Local governments in South Texas wanted to move freight trains outside of the city of Brownsville, Texas, which lies across the border from Matamoros, Mexico.

The new railroad bridge was built west of the city and will eliminate 14 railroad street crossings. The current railroad route would take freight trains through residential areas, neighborhood parks and commercial areas.

"The problem is that a lot of times, before the train is allowed to go into Mexico, they have to stage it. That blocks off several areas of downtown Brownsville," Cameron County Judge Pete Sepulveda said.

It would make it difficult for fire trucks and police vehicles to respond to emergencies, Sepulveda added.

With the new bridge, there are now seven railroad bridges between Texas and Mexico. The effort to fund and build the bridge lasted for 15 years.

"It was difficult from the standpoint that it hadn't been done before," Sepulveda said. "We had a lot of difficulties (with the Department of Homeland Security, which includes U.S. Customs,) because they hadn't done a bridge in 100 years. That was pretty frustrating."

Mexico paid $80 million for the railroad and Brownsville and Cameron County officials gathered $40 million, mostly paid for by the federal government. Traffic congestion will decrease in both Brownsville and Matamoros, which has more than double the population of Brownsville.