Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls) - Niagara Falls, ON CA
N 43° 05.409 W 079° 04.060
17T E 657273 N 4772637
Rainbow Bridge connects the two cities of Niagara Falls, one in Ontario and the other in New York, to each other as an international crossing. Tolls are only collected when leaving the U.S.
Waymark Code: WM1A7N7
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 07/04/2024
Views: 2
This bridge is located next to Niagara Falls and as such is a bridge that is seen and photographed by many people, largely because it happens to be where tourists are already visiting the Niagara Falls. However, the bridge itself has a great deal of heritage significance. The bridge is a hingeless steel arch, and when it was first built was reportedly the longest hingeless steel arch ever constructed. The bridge's steel is composed of built-up beams that are riveted together. The bridge appears to retain good historic integrity with no major alterations to the superstructure noted. The bridge's solid rib arch and minimal bracing give this bridge an appearance that is quite modern in comparison to other bridges built during this time.
The bridge also includes a series of concrete arch approach spans which in addition to the obvious function they provide as approach spans also visually compliment the longer main arch span and present a pleasing contrast of steel and concrete. These concrete arch spans have an unusual appearance when viewed up close due to the forms that were used to pour the concrete. Most concrete on old bridges usually does display the texture of the boards that were used as forms for pouring the concrete. However with this bridge, it appears that the boards or planks were either very narrow or were turned sideways, and also there appears to have been enough gap between each plank to allow more concrete to seep through than in most concrete work the concrete as seen today has an unusually striking ribbed appearance and texture to it.
The Rainbow Bridge is the latest of a series of bridges at this location. Earlier bridges included the Upper Steel Arch Bridge, whose destruction by ice accelerated the plans to build the Rainbow Bridge, which had already been in the works anyway. The skewbacks for the Upper Steel Arch Bridge are still visible just south of the Rainbow Bridge. The Upper Steel Arch Bridge had been a replacement for a suspension bridge at this location.-
Historic Bridges