100+minutes
No change
The line to enter Mexico, seen from the U.S. side. Updated every few minutes.
Southbound traffic · TxDOT
Pedestrian
Vehicles
Ready Lane
Commercial
FAST
One email when your bridge drops below 20 min. At most one a day. Free.
Puente Libre has good flow early morning. Standard lanes fill up fast after 9am.
Ask Fili moreAv. de las Américas, Ciudad Juárez - El Paso
24 hoursOpen
Puente Libre, officially the Bridge of the Americas and commonly called BOTA, is the only toll-free crossing between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso. That is exactly why it is one of the busiest on the border: thousands of people choose it every day because crossing is free. It connects Avenida de las Américas with the U.S. side and runs 24 hours a day.
Because it is free, Puente Libre draws heavy daily-commuter traffic, so lines can build fast. Northbound, the heaviest times are weekday mornings from 6 to 9 a.m. and Sunday afternoons as weekend travelers head back. The quietest stretches are usually weekday mid-mornings into early afternoon, and overnight. At peak hours the wait can top an hour, while off-peak it can drop under 30 minutes. Check the live report above before you leave the house.
The main advantage is simple: no toll in either direction, which adds up to real monthly savings for daily crossers. Its central location is also convenient both from many Juárez neighborhoods and toward central and east El Paso. The trade-off is that, being free and central, it tends to gather longer lines than other crossings at peak hours.
If Puente Libre is backed up and your schedule allows, the Zaragoza Bridge to the east is a solid alternative, especially if you are heading to or from east El Paso. Santa Fe is the better choice if downtown is your destination and you would rather walk across. Compare the wait times for all six bridges on the home page to pick whichever is moving fastest.
Our own live estimate for every bridge in the corridor, from CBP data and community reports.
Live wait times for other border crossings between Mexico and the United States.
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Last 12 hours
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Data recorded every 15 minutes
Wait time at Bridge of the Americas over the last 12 hours, standard lane: the same number we show at the top of this page, recorded every 15 minutes, with the best and worst time and the average.
The only toll-free crossing between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, which makes it one of the busiest bridges on the border. Open 24 hours a day.
Also known as BOTA, it's one of the most important crossings for vehicle traffic.
