Bridge of the Americas (El Paso–Ciudad Juárez)


The Bridge of the Americas is a group of international bridges which cross the Rio Grande and Texas State Highway Loop 375, connecting the Mexico–United States border cities of Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua and El Paso, Texas, via the MX 45 from the south and the I-110 from the north, crossing the El Paso BOTA Port of Entry. The bridge is colloquially known as "Puente Libre" in Ciudad Juárez, officially as "Puente Internacional Córdova-Las Américas" or "Puente Internacional Córdova de las Américas", and also known as "Puente Río Bravo", "Cordova Bridge" and "Free Bridge".

Description

The Bridge of the Americas consists of two bridges, actually four separate structures: two two-lane bridges for truck traffic, northbound and southbound, and two four-lane bridges for passenger vehicles, with two sidewalks for pedestrians. The bridge is one of four international points of entry connecting Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, forming the binational metropolitan area of El Paso–Juárez, alongside the Ysleta–Zaragoza International Bridge, Paso del Norte Bridge and Stanton Street Bridge.

History

The bridges were constructed from 1996 to 1998. The bridge is owned by the International Boundary and Water Commission, and operated in its American section by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and its Mexican section by Mexican Customs. It is only one of five bridges connecting Mexico and the United States from Ciudad Juárez, and to date, is the only one that is toll free.

Border crossing

The El Paso BOTA Port of Entry is El Paso's highest volume border crossing, carrying more than half the vehicles entering El Paso, Texas from Mexico.

In popular culture