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Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls)

Coordinates: 43°5′24.84″N 79°4′3.88″W / 43.0902333°N 79.0677444°W / 43.0902333; -79.0677444
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rainbow Bridge
Rainbow Bridge, viewed from Niagara Falls Observation Tower
Coordinates43°05′25″N 79°04′04″W / 43.0902°N 79.0677°W / 43.0902; -79.0677
Carries4 lanes of NY 955A /  Regional Road 420, pedestrian traffic
CrossesNiagara River
LocaleNiagara Falls, Ontario, Canada and Niagara Falls, New York, U.S.
Official nameNiagara Falls International Rainbow Bridge
Maintained byNiagara Falls Bridge Commission
Characteristics
DesignArch bridge of steel construction
Total length1,450 ft (440 m)[1]
Height202 ft (62 m)[1]
Longest span960 ft (290 m)[1]
History
Construction cost$4 million[1]
OpenedNovember 1, 1941; 83 years ago (1941-11-01)
Statistics
TollCanada-bound only:
$5.00 USD or $6.50 CAD per auto.
$1.00 USD or $1.00 CAD per pedestrian/bicyclist.[2]
Location
Map

The Niagara Falls International Rainbow Bridge, commonly known as the Rainbow Bridge, is a steel arch bridge across the Niagara River, connecting the cities of Niagara Falls, New York, United States, and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

Construction

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The Rainbow Bridge was built near the site of the earlier Honeymoon Bridge, which collapsed in 1938 due to an ice jam in the Niagara Gorge.

Architect Richard (Su Min) Lee designed the bridge; a design also used for the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, approximately 10 kilometres (6 mi) downriver. The bridge's Rainbow Tower and Canadian side plaza are the work of another Canadian architect, William Lyon Somerville.[3] King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, during their visit to Niagara Falls as part of their 1939 royal tour of Canada, dedicated the future construction site of the Rainbow Bridge; a monument was later erected to commemorate the occasion. Construction began in May 1940. The bridge officially opened on November 1, 1941.[4]

The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission chose the name "Rainbow Bridge" in March 1939, because rainbows occur frequently near the falls due to water spray and mist in the air.[5]

Description and specifications

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The New York State Department of Transportation designates the bridge as NY 955A, an unsigned reference route. Roads that adjoin the bridge include New York routes 104 and 384, and the Niagara Scenic Parkway. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation designates the bridge as part of Highway 420. The Rainbow Tower, part of the plaza complex on the Canadian side, houses a carillon, which plays several times daily.

The Rainbow Bridge does not permit commercial trucks; the nearest border crossing accessible to trucks is the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.[6]

For each pedestrian or bicyclist, the toll to cross the bridge is $1.00 USD or CAD. For vehicles, the toll is only collected when leaving the United States and entering Canada. As of August 2022, the cash toll for personal vehicles is $5.00 USD or $6.50 CAD.[2]

2023 car crash

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On November 22, 2023, a car traveling at a high rate of speed left the roadway, went airborne, crashed and exploded at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing on the American side. The vehicle's two occupants died, and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer was injured.[7] The crash and subsequent explosion was at first investigated as a potential terrorist attack, but was later determined to have been an unintentional crash.[8]

Rainbow Bridge (Canada on left)
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  • Rainbow Bridge, viewed from Ontario
    Rainbow Bridge, viewed from Ontario
  • The bridge as viewed from Canada, with collapsed Schoellkopf Power Station visible in the distance
    The bridge as viewed from Canada, with collapsed Schoellkopf Power Station visible in the distance
  • Bridge and the American Falls at night
    Bridge and the American Falls at night
  • Underside of the bridge
    Underside of the bridge
  • The border station to enter Canada after crossing the bridge from the US
    The border station to enter Canada after crossing the bridge from the US
  • Directions to the US for internationally destined pedestrians
    Directions to the US for internationally destined pedestrians
  • International border marker on the bridge
    International border marker on the bridge

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Celebrating Eight Decades of Award-winning Bridges" (PDF). Modern Steel Construction. American Institute of Steel Construction. November 2011. p. 23 (page 2 in PDF). Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Niagara Falls Bridge Commission: Toll Cost & Vehicle Definitions". August 1, 2022. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  3. ^ "Somerville, William Lyon". Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada 1800–1950. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  4. ^ Woyce, Kevin (2015). Niagara: The Falls and the River: An Illustrated History. Kevin Woyce. ISBN 978-0692522523.
  5. ^ Stamp, Robert M. (1992). Bridging the Border: Structures of Canadian–American Relations. Toronto: Dundurn Press. p. 128. ISBN 1-55002-074-9.
  6. ^ "Niagara Falls Bridge Commission: Which Bridge Do I Take?".
  7. ^ Tabachnick, Cara (2023-11-24). "2 dead in vehicle explosion at Rainbow Bridge U.S.-Canada border crossing; officials say no sign of terrorism". CBS News. Retrieved 2023-11-25.
  8. ^ Tebor, Celina; Miller, John; Perez, Evan; Sanchez, Ray (2023-11-23). "Sources: Deadly crash at US-Canadian border bridge involved husband and wife in a Bentley, investigators believe". CNN. Retrieved 2024-01-11. He called the crash a "tragic accident."
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