Bridge of the Americas (El Paso–Ciudad Juárez)

Bridge connecting the Mexican state of Chihuahua with the U.S. state of Texas

For the bridge over the Pacific entrance to Panama, see Bridge of the Americas.

Bridge of the Americas

Puente Río Bravo

The Bridge of the Americas as seen from El Paso, Texas, in June 2016.

Coordinates| 31°45′53″N 106°27′04″W﻿ / ﻿31.7647°N 106.451°W﻿ / 31.7647; -106.451
Carries|  Fed. 45/ I-110, pedestrians
Crosses| Rio Grande
Loop 375
Locale| El Paso–Ciudad Juárez
Official name| Puente Internacional Córdova-Las Américas
Other name(s)| Cordova Bridge
Named for| The Americas
Owner| City of El Paso
History
Construction start| 1996
Construction end| 1998
Statistics
Toll| None
Location

The Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) is a group of international bridges which cross the Rio Grande (Río Bravo) 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 (known as Avenida de las Américas in its Ciudad Juárez section) from the south and the I-110 from the north, crossing the El Paso BOTA Port of Entry. The bridge is known colloquially as "Puente Libre" ("Free Bridge") in Ciudad Juárez, officially as "Puente Internacional Córdova-Las Américas" ("Córdova-The Americas International Bridge") or "Puente Internacional Córdova de las Américas" ("Córdova of the Americas International Bridge"), and also as "Puente Río Bravo" ("Rio Bravo Bridge"), "Cordova Bridge", and "Free Bridge".[1]

## Description

[edit]

U.S.-bound traffic exiting the bridge in June 2002.

The Bridge of the Americas consists of two bridges comprising 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.[2]

## History

[edit]

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.[1] It is one of just five bridges connecting Mexico and the United States from Ciudad Juárez.[3] As of 2015, it is the only one that is toll free (hence the name "Puente Libre" meaning "Free Bridge").[citation needed]

## Border crossing

[edit]

Main article: El Paso BOTA Port of Entry

The El Paso BOTA Port of Entry is El Paso's highest volume border crossing, carrying more than half the vehicles (trucks and passenger cars) entering El Paso, Texas, from Mexico.[4]

## In popular culture

[edit]

The American drama television series The Bridge (2013) is set on the Bridge of the Americas and in surrounding areas.[5][citation needed]

The bridge is featured in the Denis Villeneuve film Sicario (2015).[citation needed]

## See also

[edit]

* Transport portal
* Engineering portal
* Mexico portal
* Texas portal
* List of crossings of the Rio Grande
* List of international bridges in North America

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "Texas-Mexico International Bridges and Border Crossings: Existing and Proposed (2013)" Archived 2014-02-03 at the Wayback Machine, Texas Department of Transportation [accessed 2015-08-04]
2. ^ "The Borderplex Alliance –". El Paso Regional Economic Development Corporation. 2013. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2013.
3. ^ "Puentes Internacionales Ciudad Juárez", Google Maps.
4. ^ "Border Crossing Travel Time Study, FINAL Study Report, Volume I: TxDOT El Paso District". RJ RIVERA Associates, Inc. for Texas Department of Transportation, Transportation Planning and Programming Division. Archived from the original on December 26, 2008. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
5. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (July 8, 2013). "'The Bridge' producer Meredith Stiehm on translating Denmark/Sweden into U.S./Mexico". HitFix. Retrieved July 24, 2013.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Bridge of the Americas (El Paso–Ciudad Juárez) at Wikimedia Commons

31°45′52.81″N 106°27′4.88″W﻿ / ﻿31.7646694°N 106.4513556°W﻿ / 31.7646694; -106.4513556

Crossings of the Rio Grande

| Upstream
Good Neighbor International Bridge
| Bridge of the Americas
| Downstream
Ysleta–Zaragoza International Bridge

|
|

* v
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City of El Paso

Nickname: Sun City

Primary and
secondary education|

| El Paso ISD
high schools|

* Andress
* Austin
* Bowie
* Burges
* Chapin
* Coronado
* El Paso High
* Franklin
* Irvin
* Jefferson
* Silva Health Magnet
* Transmountain Early College

|

Ysleta ISD
high schools
and notable schools|

* Bel Air
* Del Valle
* Eastwood
* J. M. Hanks
* Parkland
* Riverside
* Ysleta High
* Valle Verde Early College
* Alicia R. Chacón International School (K-8)

Socorro ISD
high schools|

* Americas
* El Dorado
* Montwood
* Pebble Hills
* Other high schools not in the city limits

Other school districts|

* Canutillo ISD

Private schools|

* Cathedral High School
* Loretto Academy
* Father Yermo
* Lydia Patterson Institute
* Radford School
* César Chávez Academy
* El Paso Academy East
* El Paso Country Day School
* Journey Academy
* Keys Academy
* Paso Del Norte Academy
* Plato Academy

Special campuses|

* College Career and Technology Academy
* Delta Academy
* Occupational Center
* Regional Day School For The Deaf
* San Jacinto Adult Learning Center
* Telles Academy
* Young Women's STEAM Research & Preparatory Academy

Higher education|

* University of Texas at El Paso
* El Paso Community College
* Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
* Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso

Library|

* El Paso Public Library

Neighborhoods|

* Angel's Triangle
* Chihuahuita
* Duranguito
* El Segundo Barrio
* Kern Place
* Mesquite Hills
* Mountain View
* North Hills
* Northeast El Paso
* Park Foothills
* Sunset Heights
* Tierra Del Este
* Vista Del Sol
* Ysleta

Media|

| Print media|

* El Paso Times
* El Diario de El Paso
* What's Up (weekly)

|

Former print media|

* El Paso Herald-Post
* The Lone Star
* Revista Católica

Radio stations|

* KAMA
* KBNA-FM
* KELP
* KHEY
* KHEY-FM
* KHRO
* KINT-FM
* KKLY
* KLAQ
* KOFX
* KPAS
* KPRR
* KQBU
* KROD
* KSII
* KSVE
* KTEP
* KTSM
* KTSM-FM
* KVER
* KVIV
* KYSE
* WNG652
* WXK25
* XHTO-FM

Television stations|

* K22NM-D
* K27OJ-D
* KCOS
* KDBC
* KFOX
* KINT
* KSCE
* KTFN
* KVIA
* KTSM

Hospitals|

* William Beaumont Army Medical Center
* University Medical Center
* Sierra Medical Center
* Las Palmas Medical Center
* Del Sol Medical Center
* Sierra Providence East Medical Center
* El Paso Children's Hospital
* Providence Memorial Hospital

Military|

* Biggs Army Airfield
* Fort Bliss
* United States Army Sergeants Major Academy
* Castner Range National Monument
* Pershing House
* William Beaumont Army Medical Center

Theaters|

* Abraham Chavez Theatre
* Plaza Theater
* McKelligon Canyon (amphitheater)

Convention Center|

* El Paso Civic Center

Museums|

* Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens
* Chamizal National Memorial
* El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center
* El Paso Museum of Archaeology
* El Paso Museum of Art
* El Paso Museum of History
* International Museum of Art
* La Nube
* Magoffin Home State Historic Site
* National Border Patrol Museum
* Railroad and Transportation Museum of El Paso

Parks and gardens|

* Chamizal National Memorial
* Franklin Mountains State Park
* Hueco Tanks State Historic Site
* McKelligon Canyon
* San Jacinto Plaza
* Wyler Aerial Tramway

International border crossings|

* Bridge of the Americas
* Good Neighbor International Bridge
* Paso del Norte International Bridge
* Ysleta–Zaragoza International Bridge

Transportation|

* El Paso International Airport
* El Paso Streetcar
* Horizon Airport
* Sun Metro
* Union Depot

Organizations based in El Paso|

* Ballet Folklorico Paso Del Norte
* Centro de Salud Familiar La Fe
* El Paso Intelligence Center
* El Paso Marathon
* Frontera Women's Foundation
* Hope Border Institute
* Paso Del Norte Group
* Ysleta del Sur Pueblo

Companies based in El Paso|

* Chico's Tacos
* Cinco Puntos Press
* Dos Lunas Tequila
* El Paso Corp.
* El Paso Electric
* El Taco Tote
* Fred Loya Insurance
* Government Employees Credit Union (El Paso)
* Helen of Troy Limited
* Kiki's Mexican Restaurant
* La Tapatia, Inc.
* Lucchese Boot Company
* The Popular (department store)
* Sonic Ranch
* Spira Footwear Inc.
* Technology Hub
* The Shoppes at Solana
* Tony Lama Boots
* Trost & Trost
* Western Refining

Sports|

* El Paso Chihuahuas
* El Paso Locomotive FC
* El Paso Rhinos
* Sun Bowl

* Category:El Paso, Texas
* El Paso County * Texas * United States

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