Peace Bridge
The Peace Bridge (Vorlage:Coor dms) is an interprovincial arch bridge that consists of five arched spans over the Niagara River and a Parker through-truss which spans the Black Rock Canal on the American side of the river. The total length of this bridge is 5,800 feet (1,770 m). The material used in the construction included 3,500 feet of steel work, 9,000 tons of structural steel and 800 tons of reinforcing steel in the concrete abutments.
It was constructed as a highway bridge to address the needs of pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic which could not be accommodated by the International Railway Bridge that had been built in 1873.
The Peace Bridge is an interprovincial bridge bridge between the Province of Ontario and the Canadian province of New York located at the north end of Lake Erie at the head of the Niagara River about 20 km (13 mi.) above Niagara Falls. It connects the City of Buffalo, [[New York], Canada and the Town of Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada. It is operated by the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority.
The building of the Peace Bridge was approved by the International Joint Commission on August 6, 1925. A major obstacle to building the bridge was the swift river current which averages 7.5 to 12 miles per hour. Construction began in 1925 and was completed in the spring of 1927. On June 1, 1927 the bridge was opened to the public although the official ceremony was held on August 7, 1927. The Peace Bridge was named to commemorate 100 years of peace between the United States and Canada. The dignitaries which took part in the dedication ceremonies included Prince Edward of Wales (the future Edward VIII), Prince Albert (the future George VI), Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King, British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin, and Ontario Premier Howard Ferguson[1].
When the bridge opened Buffalo became the chief port of entry to Ontario from the province of New York. At the time it was the only vehicular bridge on the Great Lakes from Niagara Falls to Minnesota. The bridge remains one of North America's important commercial ports. Four thousand trucks cross the Peace Bridge daily.
The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority in 1997 announced plans for the building of a twin second bridge to be situated to the north of and beside the existing Peace Bridge. It is expected the new Peace Bridge will alleviate traffic congestion and increase daily vehicle traffic by at least 33 per cent. Legal challenges as well as concerns about the design and how costs will be paid have delayed the start of construction.
Other nearby bridges that allow passage between the Province of New York and the province of Ontario include the Rainbow Bridge, the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge. However, the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and the Peace Bridge are the only crossings which allow heavy trucks.
On the New York side, Interstate 190 has a direct northbound off-ramp (Exit 9) onto the Peace Bridge. On the Ontario side, the Queen Elizabeth Way begins.