1913 CP Jackknife Bridge in Thunder Bay, ON

(Historic Bridges; Satellite)

This is the first Strauss trunnion bridge I have seen with four "rocker arms" instead of the usual two. And the fattest "elephant ears" that I have seen. That would be because the span is extra heavy because it has two decks. The lower deck still carries railroad traffic. The upper deck used to carry vehicle traffic. The vehicle deck was closed in Oct 2002. By a July 2005 image on Google Earth, the approach viaduct for the road deck had been removed.

cmh2315fl (C. Hanchey), License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 
Jackknife Bascule Bridge (Thunder Bay, Ontario)
Historic Strauss trunnion bascule lift bridge over the Kaministiquia River in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The bridge connects to Mission Island. It is also known as the Jack-Knife Bascule Bridge and the Kaministiquia Bascule Lift Bridge. It was constructed by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) between 1910 and 1913. The bridge was built as a combined railroad and highway bridge with two decks – an upper deck for vehicles and the lower deck for rail traffic. The upper roadway deck and approaches were removed in 2004 after a new bridge opened.
The Jackknife Bascule Bridge was added to the City of Thunder Bay Heritage Register in 2009 as the Kaministiquia (Kam) Bascule Bridge. It has also been listed on the Ontario Heritage Bridge List.

 

Michael Hull posted
Let's Play Bridge: Glenada headed down the Mission River and under the Jackknife Bascule Bridge on the Kaministiquia River on November 18, 2022 in the Port of Thunder Bay.

The last view on Google Earth that still had the approaches.

Google Earth, Oct 2002

The counterweights on this bridge are huge. I've never seen two truss lines per counterweight before. The reason for the big weights is that the span has two decks. Until 2002, the top deck used to carry a road. Road access to the islands is now provided by the Island Drive Bridge.

Street View

"Strauss claimed this was the first double-deck bascule bridge in the world when completed." [HistoricBridges]

DigitalArchive-1
C.N.R. Bascule Bridge, Fort William, Ontario, Canada (The only double-decked bridge of its kind in the world. Takes 2400 tons weight to lift it.)

This is the post that taught me about this bridge. The Costal Titan is salvaging the 1905 James Whalen Tug. [Dennis DeBruler]

2:35 video @ 0:34
Bruce Symington post
Bruce Symington shared

The red rectangle shows the location of this bridge and the green line shows the route of the tug's journey to the dock in the lower-left corner. They had to use this bridge because the other bridges are either fixed or too narrow. I wonder how many years it has been since the bridge had been used and how much effort had to be done to make it usable again. I suspect that it at least needed a good greese job. The fixed Island Drive Bridge has some height, but probably not enough to clear the cranes of the Coastal Titan.

Satellite

3D Satellite

This map taught me that the Kaministiquia River goes all the way to the northernmost mouth.

9:20 video via padwrr @ 0:55

 

ThunderBay
"Thunder Bay’s unique jackknife bridge spans the Kaministiquia River, linking Mission Island with the City. It was constructed by the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1910 and 1913....The bridge originally had two decks, an upper one for personal and commercial vehicles and a lower deck for trains. Both the upper deck and the roadway connecting the bridge to Syndicate Avenue were dismantled in 2004 after the bridge was deemed hazardous to traffic. A new crossing, the Island Drive Bridge was constructed in 2002 for automobile traffic, although the Jackknife Bridge still operates as a rail passage. The entire Jackknife Bridge was in danger of being demolished, but community outcry ensured the bridge would be maintained and protected. Fort William’s 2005 South Core Neighborhood Renewal Plan suggested a recreational trail extend from Kaministiquia Heritage Park to the historic Jackknife Bridge so that the site may be better utilized."

HistoricBridges points out that people are standing on the bridge!

DigitalArchive-2
Bascule lift bridge over the Kaministigma River at Fort William Ont connecting the mainland with Island No 21
Also, OurOntario

 

wikimedia, Public Domain in both Canada and USA

Another view that shows the old roadway. Note the old elevators in the background.

OurOntario, 1924

 

RollyMartinCountry, 1914 Postcard

 

WestonLangford, License: CC BY-ND 4.0
Date Taken: Aug 11, 1970

 

WestonLangford, License: CC BY-ND 4.0
Date Taken: Aug 11, 1970

LH North posted

3 of 15 photos posted by Michael Hull with the comment: "GEORGE N. CARLETON arrived by way of the Kaministiquia River, going under the raised Jackknife Bascule Bridge (1913)."

Michael Hull posted

Michael Hull posted

a

b

c

1 of 15 posted photos Michael Hull
Glenada headed back to base down the Mission River and then under the Jackknife Bascule Bridge on the Kaministiquia River.

4 of 15 photos posted by Michael Hull with the comment: "On October 12, 2024, EIDER (2010 Antigua Barbuda) was assisted by POINT VALOUR (1958) and GLENADA (1943) to the MobilEx Terminal at the Port of Thunder Bay. Following Glenada’s assistance, the tug proceeded down the Kaministiquia River and passed under the Jackknife Bascule Bridge. ONEGO NEVA (2008 Antigua Barbuda) was docked at Keefer Terminal."

Michael Hull also posted the same description and photos.

a

b

c

d

1:18 video @ 0:10 of a boat going under the bridge

Screenshot

Screenshot