Whirlpool Rapids Bridge
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 Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, photo by Alan Teichman / and structurae | |
| Carries | 2 lanes (lower) 1 rail line (upper) |
|---|---|
| Crosses | Niagara River |
| Locale | Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York |
| Maintained by | Niagara Falls Bridge Commission |
| Design | Arch bridge |
| Opening date | 1897 |
The Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, commonly called the Whirlpool Bridge or Lower Bridge, is a spandrel braced, riveted, two-hinged arch bridge.
This is an international bridge between Canada and the United States. It connects the commercial downtown districts of Niagara Falls, New York, and Niagara Falls, Ontario. This bridge is located approximately 1.5 km (1 mi.) north of the Rainbow Bridge and about 2 km (1.25 mi) from the Falls. This bridge was acquired by the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission in January 1959.
The bridge was constructed between 1896 and 1897. The bridge has two decks. The upper deck carries the railway traffic while the lower deck is a roadway reserved for passenger vehicles. The Whirlpool Bridge is reserved for subscribers to NEXUS, a joint program implemented by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), formerly known as the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA), Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), and United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP). There is one lane of traffic to the United States and one lane to Canada.
A single set of train tracks crosses over the bridge. A VIA Rail station, formerly Grand Trunk Railway, is located on the Canadian side of the bridge.
Just to the south is the 1883 (replaced 1925) Michigan Central Railway Bridge, also carrying rail traffic. The Whirlpool Rapids Bridge replaced the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge (1848, replaced 1855 and 1886).
[edit] External links
| Bridges of the Niagara River | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Upstream Michigan Central Railway Bridge Image:Michigan Central Herald.gif | Whirlpool Rapids Bridge | Downstream Lewiston-Queenston Bridge Image:Ontario 405.png Image:I-190.svg | |
