International Railway Bridge
International Railway Bridge | |
|---|---|
The International Railway Bridge in December 2014 from the south, approaching Ferry Street. | |
| Coordinates | 42°55′44″N 78°54′36″W / 42.9289°N 78.91°W |
| Carries | Canadian National Railway |
| Crosses | Niagara River |
| Locale | Fort Erie, Ontario and Buffalo, New York |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | Main Channel 1,890 feet (576 m) - Black Rock Channel 440 feet (134 m) |
| Clearance above | 22 feet (7 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | November 3, 1873 |
| Location | |
The International Railway Bridge is a two-span swing bridge carrying the Stamford Subdivision of the Canadian National Railway across the Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, and Buffalo, New York, United States. It was originally built in 1873 for the International Bridge Company by Casimir Stanislaus Gzowski and D.L. MacPherson.
The bridge consists of two sections, the first extending from the Canadian shore to Unity Island (formerly known as Squaw Island), and the second extending from Unity Island to the American mainland shore. The portion between these was originally built on a trestle, and was filled to form an embankment soon after the bridge opened. Once on the American mainland, rail traffic is received by the Black Rock Rail Yard. The former CN Rail Fort Erie Yard for interchange was closed with only the Fidel shop remains as Niagara Railway Museum. The yard’s trackage is mostly removed and used by Attar Metals and most of the roundhouse was demolished.