(Bridge Hunter broke Mar 22, 2023;
Historic Bridges;
Satellite, 16,882 photos)
The Honeymoon Bridge was also known as the Falls View Bridge. It was the fourth bridge at this site, the previous three bridges were suspension bridges. [
insauga]
The Rainbow Bridge began construction in 1940 to replace the Honeymoon Bridge that collapsed in 1938 because of an ice jam. It opened in 1941. It is a steel arch bridge. [
CliftonHill_history]
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NiagaraFallsLive, cropped
"Construction of the Rainbow Bridge started in May of 1940 and opened November 1st 1941. The deck of this bridge is 202 feet (61.5m) above the water and 950 feet (289.5m) in length. The water current under this bridge averages 26-30 miles per hour. The water depth is in excess of 175 feet (53m). In one minute it is estimated that six billion (6,000,000,000) pounds of water cross under the Rainbow Bridge. The bridges abutments are 50 feet (15m) above the water to avoid damage from ice in the river which incidentally destroyed the previous Honeymoon Bridge in January of 1938."
The toll for pedestrians is $1 in both US and Canadian funds. |
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Niagara Falls Adventures posted
When construction began on the Rainbow Bridge in 1940, the decision was made to adjust its location about 550ft [168m] north of the Honeymoon Bridge. The project was a massive undertaking, as workers had to hang in the middle of the 200ft [30.5m] tall, 1,000ft [305m] wide Niagara Gorge! To keep workers safe, a safety net was put below the bridge, and no fatalities occurred during the construction. Several precautions were taken to prevent a repeat of the Honeymoon Bridge collapse. The Rainbow Bridge was built to a span of 950ft [290m], with each of the main arch abutments resting 50ft [15.2m] from the river's edge and 50ft above the surface of the water. The abutments and the approach spans rest on solid rock on the sides of the gorge, high enough to prevent ice from damaging the critical structures. The two ribs of the bridge are made up of 3,500 tons of steel, while another 2,000 tons of steel were used to build superstructure and decking. The bridge was finally completed on November 1st of 1941, and is still used today by millions of vehicles and pedestrians annually. Niagara Falls Adventures sharedPeter Jedicke: Ought to use metric units. Don MacDonell: Peter Jedicke Anyone in construction in Canada does not use metric. Only bureaucrats and educators who are forced to, use metric. When students graduate and work in the real world they go back to feet and inches. Don Penteluke: Don MacDonell I worked in the industry, including one year as a construction estimator. I would say 90% of the site drawings, architectural plans were done with feet and inches. When a metric plan came through, we would take the time to convert it back to inches. Most if not all of the workers on site build with feet and inches still. |
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ezbordercrossing
Commercial traffic is not allowed on this bridge to provide the best experience for tourists. Because of customs, delays of two hours can be encountered during the busy summer travel time. |
Of the bridges that are downstream from the Falls, this bridge is the closest.
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Paula McLaren posted
Off the site, I love Canada... |
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Niagara Falls Adventures posted
When the historic Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge had finally reached its life expectancy, the Upper Steel Arch Bridge was designed to replace it.- Built from 1897-1898, the bridge linked Niagara Falls, USA with Niagara Falls, Canada. At 840 feet in length, the bridge was the longest bridge of its design in the world at the time!- The bridge had a double track for trolley cars, and space for pedestrians and carriages as well. With Niagara Falls being known as the Honeymoon Capital of the World, the bridge took on its famous nickname: the Honeymoon Bridge! Tom Collister: When the historic suspension bridge finally reached it's life expectancy, it was dismantled and brought down to Lewiston where it was reassembled and lasted another 63 years. 25 years longer than its replacement. Then, when the new Lewiston/Queenston bridge replaced it, it was disassembled and sent to a south American country. to be used. Niagara Falls Adventures snared |
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Dougie Jay posted
HONEYMOON BRIDGE, completed in 1898 ... Behind the UNEEDA BISCUIT sign is the burnt First Clifton House & Clifton Hill ... the Lafayette Hotel (built in 1894) & Queen's Hotel (built in 1872) are at centre near the bridge exit ... Bender Street is at far right .. Victoria Ave/Palmer Ave & the Michigan Central rail line run across upper part of photo; 1900 (NFNYPL, courtesy Doug Southon) |
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Dougie Jay commented on his post
(courtesy Dick Hambridge) |
Richard Szczepaniec provided two photos after the collapse as comments on the above post. (More on the collapse below.)
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Dougie Jay provided four images on the above share.
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Spring of 1898 (NFNYPL) ... Construction of the Schoellkopf Power Station in foreground .. Honeymoon Bridge nearing completion; Second Fallsview Suspension Bridge towers & cables not yet removed .. note the First Clifton House in the distance, it was destroyed by fire in June 1898. |
Marnee Faragher
posted three photos with the comment: "1938 ice bridge, bridge collapse and hydro station Niagara Falls."
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"Model A" style cars on River Road at Clifton Hill lining up to cross the Honeymoon Bridge, Second Clifton Hotel at left; about 1925 (Petrie Collection postcard, NFPL) |
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About 1925 (FH Leslie) |
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About 1920 |
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Bridges Now and Then posted
Rainbow Bridge Carillon Tower construction, Niagara Falls, April 3, 1942. (Brock University Library)
John Mccomber: My father Alec McComber connected it along w Tom Paul. Wesley Albany and Norman LeFebvre also in the raising gang. Canadian side |
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Bridges Now and Then posted
Rainbow Bridge construction crane, Niagara Falls, 1941. (Brock University Library) |
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Bridges Now and Then posted
"Last steel unit in Rainbow Bridge, Niagara Falls, 20 May 1941" (Brock University) |
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Antonio Medina posted
Rainbow Bridge construction crane, Niagara Falls, 1941. Source-Brock University Library |
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insauga, also in CliftonHill_collapse
"When the Niagara Falls border bridge was built and opened early 1898, it was at 840 feet (260 metres) the longest bridge in the world."
Just a year after it was built, ice bent some of the steel beams. That Summer they built protective walls around the abutments. That protection was sufficient until an ice jam in 1938.
[Note how close the abutments are to the river.] |
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insauga
In 1938, the ice was building up so bad that it was obvious the bridge would collapse. A lot of people started watching for the collapse. It occurred four days later. Even motion picture cameras were watching. This 1:42 video was a newsreal of the collapse. |
Another video about the collapse:
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CliftonHill_collapse
"During the fateful week in 1938, the Niagara river bed rose to 9 feet high, thus engulfing the Maid of the Mist docks and everything else around it. Suddenly the abutments of the Honeymoon Bridge were encased with ice. Knowing that the bridge would collapse on any given day, all vehicle traffic was ceased to a halt the day prior to the Niagara Falls Bridge Collapse on January 26th. No fatalities occurred due to this — except for the fate on the bridge! At 4:20 pm on January 27th, 1938 the Honeymoon Bridge fell into the Niagara Gorge." |
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"The Upper Steel Arch Bridge had a tendency to sway under heavy loads or high winds, and as a result, it was a widely held opinion that the bridge was unstable. One well-documented instance of this instability occurred on June 8th, 1925, when a crowd of people gathered on the bridge to view the fireworks at the inauguration ceremony of the illumination of the Falls, "'he Festival of Lights'. The spectators who filled the bridge soon realized that the bridge was swaying. Terrified, they got off of the bridge as quickly as possible. Had the bridge collapsed while filled with people, the tragedy would have been unimaginable, and therefore, although the structure of the bridge had not been damaged, it was reinforced with lateral bracing to avoid future scares. "Built 1939-42, the Rainbow Bridge had the distinction of being the greatest hingeless steel arch bridge in the world at time of construction "Built in 1897-98, the Honeymoon Bridge had the distinction of being the greatest hinged steel arch in the world at the time of construction"
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2 of 5 photos
posted by Dave-Cindy Collee-Farrington with the comment: "Helping to clean out my in laws basement and found these pics... anyone know the bridge and/or story?"
Jamie Jones: Honeymoon Bridge/Fallsview Bridge/Upper Steel Arch Bridge 1898-1938 - collapsed when prevailing winds over Lake Erie shifted a massive amount of ice through the Niagara River and over the falls, ultimately building up so high it buckled the bridge abutments and took the bridge down onto the packed ice below. It would later be rebuilt to the Rainbow Bridge we know today.
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Mike Cushman provided three photos on the above post as comments:
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Another view of the Rainbow Bridge shows that the abutments are a lot further from the river's edge. It is also 500' further downstream from the location of the Honeymoon Bridge.
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Carl Mottern updated
The Niagara Gorge "Ice Bridge" Feb 10th, 2010. Looking south towards Niagara Falls and the Rainbow Bridge. Taken from The Customs House at The Whirlpool Bridge.
Carl Mottern shared |
Nick Angelo
posted four images with the comment: "Came across these pics in an old photo album, construction of the Rainbow Bridge. Thought the group might enjoy them."
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Alejandro MonteMayor posted
Under Rainbow International Bridge. Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada 5.
Alejandro MonteMayor shared |
Rick Steinman provided seven photos as comments on Alejandro's post:
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remains of the Honeymoon Bridge base torn off from ice |
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Alejandro MonteMayor posted
American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls & International Rainbow Bridge seen from the Canadian side. Niagara Falls, Canada.
Alejandro MonteMayor shared with the same comment
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This web page has a lot of photos of the Honeymoon bridge both before and after the collapse.
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