Where the bridges are

There are five bridges in the El Paso area: two downtown, the free bridge, the Zaragosa bridge, and one in Santa Teresa, NM. I've never been to the one in Santa Teresa, I just know there is one there.

Downtown Bridges: One is an extension of El Paso St., the other is an extension of Stanton Street. For instance, if you walk south on Stanton Street, you will hit the bridge. The bridge on El Paso Street, which I believe is also called the Santa Fe bridge (nobody that goes to Juarez much calls the bridges by their names), is one-way (north-bound) for driving, and two-way for pedestrian traffic. It connects to Juarez Avenue in Juarez. The bridge on Stanton Street (Cordova Bridge, I think) is one-way (south-bound) for cars. It is one-way (south-bound) for pedestrians. This bridge connects to Lerdo Avenue, if you are driving. It cost 25 cents to walk over, either way. The fee to drive south is $1.75, I believe, and a little less to drive north. Unless you are sure of where you are going, walk over on the El Paso St. bridge. If you walk over the Stanton bridge, you can turn right on the first street to get back to Juarez Avenue.

If you are driving, you can take Lerdo to Sixteenth of September, and turn right if you are going west. This is not terribly useful for the tourist (unless you want to see the Cathedral), unless you are going to turn left (south-bound) on Francisco Villa, which will turn into Eje Juan Gabriel. This takes you to a mall (Soriana), or you can turn left at the mall (Municipal Street) towards a lot of stuff. If you are trying to get to the City Market, turn left from Lerdo onto Mejia, drive about 8 blocks, then turn right (south-bound), get back to Sixteenth of September, turn right. The City Market will be on your right within about 4 blocks. You can instead pass Sixteenth of September on Lerdo, and turn left on Guerrero. This takes you toward Rio Grande Mall (Futurama). Also, you can get to the city Market from Lerdo.

Free Bridge, or Puente Libre This is also called Bridge of the Americas. You basically just drive south on U.S. 54, and it runs into the bridge. You can also drive down Paisano, and turn onto it a few hundred yards west of U.S. 54. This bridge is two-way for both pedestrian and automobiles, and is free of charge, coming and going.

I don't recommend you walk over it into Juarez - about the only thing there are taxis, and a park. When I was much younger, I used to walk over it, and all the way to Americas Avenue (Avenida de las Americas).

See also Driving over the Free Bridge.

Zaragosa Bridge You get here by driving south on Zaragoza Street, or by exiting from 375. It is by the southeast corner of the 375 loop, so you can travel east on the Border Highway (also called Cesar Chavez), or south on 375; you will exit about where the highway turns west.

There are 3 hotels just south of the border, a few dance halls, dentist, etc. Also, you can turn right where the three streets run together, and you will pass by continuous businesses, all the way to the freeway (the long street that is Sixteenth of September, Paseo Triunfo de la Republica, Av. Tecnologico, and Carretera Panamericana (Pan-American Highway). I think it is P.T. de la Republica where it crosses the street you will be on (Gomez Morin).

It is too complicated to describe how to get back to the Zaragoza Bridge, if you stray far from it; I will make a separate page just for that. If you want to take a shot, head north on Gomez Morin; when the streets start to confuse you, ask for directions. I guess the important thing about the Zaragoza Bridge is that the lines are wonderfully short. Also, you can catch a green bus in front of the ice cream store that will take you back to downtown Juarez. Most of the buses that pass by are just for the factory workers, though. I have never been able to get a bus back to the Zaragosa Bridge from downtown Juarez; it apparently doesn't run very late.