The Peace Bridge is an international bridge over the Niagara River between Canada and the United States, located just north of the river's source at the east end of Lake Erie about upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects Buffalo, New York, in the United States to Fort Erie, Ontario, in Canada. It is operated and maintained by the bi-national Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority.

The Peace Bridge consists of five arched spans over the Niagara River and a Parker deck-type truss span over the Black Rock Canal on the American side of the river. The length is . Material used in the construction included of steelwork, 9,000 tons of structural steel and 800 tons of reinforcing steel in the concrete abutments. The Peace Bridge was named to commemorate 100 years of peace between the United States and Canada. It was constructed as a highway bridge to address pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic which could not be accommodated on the International Railway Bridge, built in 1873.

thumb|Peace Bridge Board Member License Plate Topper

History

thumb|Peace Bridge from Fort Erie, with new lighting retrofit

The building of the Peace Bridge was approved by the International Joint Commission on August 6, 1925. Edward Lupfer served as chief engineer. A major obstacle to building the bridge was the swift river current, which averages . Construction began in 1925 and was completed in the spring of 1927. On March 13, 1927, Lupfer drove the first car across the bridge. On June 1, 1927, the bridge was opened to the public.

The official opening ceremony was held two months later, on August 7, 1927, with about 20,000 in attendance.

When the bridge opened, Buffalo and Fort Erie each became the chief port of entry to their respective countries from the other. At the time it was the only vehicular bridge on the Great Lakes from Niagara Falls to New York. The bridge remains one of North America's important commercial ports with four thousand trucks crossing it daily.

After new toll facilities were installed on the Canadian side in 2005, the Peace Bridge became the first E-ZPass facility outside the United States. There are no fees for entering the US.

Alternatives

The Peace Bridge is one of the busiest on the Canada–United States border, with over one million trucks crossing it each year and delays of up to almost four hours. Other nearby bridges between the United States and Canada include the Rainbow Bridge, the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge. The Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and the Peace Bridge are the only Niagara River crossings that allow heavy trucks.

Customs inspection and toll plazas

There are customs plazas at both ends of the bridge, with the Canadian plaza the newer and larger of the two.

The inbound customs plaza in the United States has seven lanes for trucks and nine for cars. Pedestrians and cyclists are processed to the left of the truck inspection area.

The inbound customs plaza in Canada was designed by NORR Limited Architects and Engineers and completed in 2010. There are 14 booths/lanes for cars and a separate area for trucks (handling five trucks at a time). Pedestrians and cyclists are processed in an area on the right side of the inspection area for cars.

Road connections

The New York State Department of Transportation designates the bridge as , an unsigned reference route. Interstate 190 adjoins the bridge and has a direct northbound off-ramp (exit 9) to it. The Queen Elizabeth Way begins at the Canada–United States border.

Commemorations

thumb|US Peace Bridge stamp

  • Buffalo resident Emma M. Herold-Haft composed the Peace Bridge March in honor of the bridge's opening in 1927.
  • On August 4, 1977, Canada Post and the United States Postal Service brought out a joint issue of postage stamps to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the bridge. Unusual for joint issues, the two designs are radically different, with the US print being all blue and the Canadian print in full colour).

See also

  • List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in New York
  • List of bridges in Canada
  • List of international bridges in North America
  • List of crossings of the Niagara River
  • List of reference routes in New York
  • Peace Bridge robins

References

Further reading

  • Peace Bridge Authority
  • Peace Bridge Dedication silent newsreel film, 1927
  • Images from the Historic Niagara Digital Collections