Bridge of the Americas (El Paso–Ciudad Juárez)
| Bridge of the Americas Puente Río Bravo | |
|---|---|
| Carries |
 Fed. 45/ I-110, pedestrians |
| Crosses | Rio Grande (Río Bravo) |
| 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 begin | 1996 |
| Construction end | 1998 |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | None |
The Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) is a group of international bridges which cross the Rio Grande (Río Bravo), 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. 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".[1]
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 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 only one of five bridges connecting Mexico and the US from Ciudad Juárez,[2] and to date (i.e. 2015), is the only one that is toll free (hence the name Puente Libre).
In popular culture
The 2013 American drama television series The Bridge is named after the Bridge of the Americas and set on it and surrounding areas.[3]
References
- 1 2 "Texas-Mexico International Bridges and Border Crossings: Existing and Proposed (2013)", Texas Department of Transportation [accessed 2015-08-04]
- ↑ "Puentes Internacionales Ciudad Juárez", Google Maps.
- ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (July 8, 2013). "'The Bridge' producer Meredith Stiehm on translating Denmark/Sweden into U.S./Mexico". HitFix. Retrieved July 24, 2013.
Coordinates: 31°45′52.81″N 106°27′4.88″W / 31.7646694°N 106.4513556°W