In 1998, the decision was made to expand SENTRI to El Paso, Texas. The aim was to relieve congestion at the busy Paso del Norte International Bridge. However, this bridge was not wide enough to set aside one lane as a dedicated commuter lane. Therefore, the nearby Stanton Street bridge, which had been a southbound-only bridge, was chosen as the best place to deploy SENTRI. A new port of entry facility was built, and the SENTRI lane opened in September 1999.