Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls)

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For other articles with the words Rainbow Bridge in it, see Rainbow Bridge

**Rainbow Bridge**
Image:IMG 4698.JPG Rainbow Bridge as seen from observation area of the Canadian Falls
Carries	4 lanes of vehicular traffic (2 each way), pedestrian traffic
Crosses	Niagara River
Locale	Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York
Maintained by	Niagara Falls Bridge Commission
Design	Arch bridge
Longest span	950 ft (289.5 m)
Opening date	November 1, 1941

The Rainbow Bridge at Niagara Falls is a steel arch bridge linking the United States and Canada, and is a world-famous tourist site. The bridge has been replicated by the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge approximately 16 km (10 mi.) to the north. It connects the Cities of Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario, spanning the Niagara River. The New York State Department of Transportation designates the bridge New York State Reference Route 955A (though it is unsigned), while the Ontario Ministry of Transportation at one point had designated the bridge as part of Highway 420 (this section of the route has since been downloaded to the city).

The Rainbow Bridge was built near the site of the earlier Honeymoon Bridge, also called the Falls View Bridge or officially the Upper Steel Arch Bridge, which had collapsed on January 27, 1938, due to an ice jam in the river. A joint Canadian and American commission had already been considering a new bridge to replace it, to which the collapse gave added urgency. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, during their visit to Niagara Falls as part of the 1939 Royal Tour of Canada, dedicated the site of the Rainbow Bridge. A monument was erected to commemorate the occasion. Construction began in May of 1940. The official opening of the Rainbow Bridge took place on November 1, 1941.

The span of this bridge is 289.5 m (950 ft).

Image:Rainbowbridge-canada.jpg

On the American side, a number of state and national routes end at a set of intersections in front of the bridge. New York State Route 104, New York State Route 384, and the northern section of the Robert Moses State Parkway all terminate at the final intersection before the bridge, and none of the designations are passed onto the bridge itself. U.S. Route 62 terminates two blocks north at Route 104, which then continues to the bridge.

The complex on the Canadian side of the Rainbow Bridge features the Rainbow Tower, which houses a large carillon. It sounds multiple times daily.

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Bridges of the Niagara River
Upstream North Grand Island Bridge Image:I-190.svg	Rainbow Bridge	Downstream Michigan Central Railway Bridge Image:Michigan Central Herald.gif