The International Bridge, aka The International Railway Bridge, as it appeared around 1900 from the Canadian side of the Niagara River.
The International Bridge: Black Rock and Bridgetown
The International Bridge, aka The International Railway Bridge, as it appeared
around 1900 from the Canadian side of the Niagara River.
The bridge was constructed in 1873 under Canadian
auspices, directed by Canadian civil engineer Colonel Casimir S. Gzowski.
The intention was to connect the Grand Trunk Railway system of Canada to the
American railway system and provide new
markets for Canadian goods.
View from the Canadian side in 2005.
The bridge was an immediate success and was strengthened in 1901 in order to double its capacity.
In 1895, the community around the Canadian side of the bridge was named Bridgetown,
a designation still used locally.
The International Bridge as it appeared around 1900 from the U.S. side of the
Niagara River near Squaw Island.
The bridge spans 3,652 feet from border to
border, and crosses Squaw Island before its terminus in Black Rock. It is still
in use in 2005 as a railroad bridge.
2005 view of the International Bridge
The Detroit International Bridge Co., which
owns and operates the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit, Michigan and
Windsor, Ontario, has been working to construct a privately-funded bridge that
would follow the corridor of the International
Bridge and create a bridge for commercial traffic between Black Rock and Bridgetown.
The Ambassador Niagara Signature
Bridge Group hopes to begin construction in 2008, If it can secure all
the necessary permits and can have removed the
Peace Bridge Authority's exclusive rights to any and all international vehicular
crossings within 6 miles of the Peace Bridge.