October 14, 1924
Gid Miller, motorman on the first street car run across the old international bridge by the El Paso Electric Railway company, January 10, 1902, will be at the controller when car No. 82 rolls over the new $180,000 concrete Stanton street bridge this morning at 6 o’clock.
M.H. Filey, conductor on the first car across the bridge in 1902 and who still has the first nickel collected, according to Supt. Alves Dixon, will be conductor on the first car over this morning.
Assignment of the two employes to this honor will be the only formality attached to the opening of the new bridge to street car traffic.
Open to Vehicles Thursday
The bridge will be opened to vehicles and pedestrians Thursday if plans are carried out. Customs and immigration authorities have been given notice to that effect.
Mayor P.M. Fierro of Juarez and his councilmen will be the first to ride over the bridge in an automobile. They will be accompanied by Mr. Dixon, Mayor R.M. Dudley and his aldermen will accompany the party back to Juarez, after which the bridge will be thrown open to general traffic.
Two-way traffic over the Santa Fe street bridge will no longer be necessary. Juarez-bound vehicular traffic will move over the new Stanton street bridge. El Paso bound traffic will move over the Santa Fe street bridge.
Work on the new bridge was started last spring. The old wooden bridge was wrecked after a temporary trestle was constructed for street cars.
Ornamental lights
Concrete piling was driven into the rive bed and it was on these that the steel and concrete structure rests.
Ornamental lights add to the beauty of the bridge. The toll collector’s house and the customs station have been designed and finished to conform with the general plan of construction.
The railway rests on a standard road-bed, the section for vehicles is paved and there is a concrete walk for pedestrians.
Crews were at work last night cutting in the track.
Comments