Whirlpool Rapids Bridge

The Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, commonly known as the Whirlpool Bridge or the Lower Steel Arch Bridge , is a spandrel braced, riveted, two-hinged arch bridge. It crosses the international border between Canada and the United States, connecting the commercial downtown districts of Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York. This bridge is located approximately 1.5 kilometres north of the Rainbow Bridge and about 2 kilometres from the Falls. It was acquired by the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission in January 1959. Immediately up stream is the out-of-service Michigan Central Railway Bridge.

The predecessor of the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge was the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge, which carried foot and rail traffic. That bridge, opened in 1855, was most notable for being the world's first working railway suspension bridge and for being the bridge abolitionists running the Underground Railroad used to get slaves to freedom in Canada. By the late 1800s, the suspension bridge was becoming outdated for railroad needs. The weight of trains in North America had greatly increased by the mid-1890s. Larger and more powerful locomotives were required to pull cars that handled an increasing number of passengers and goods; compared to the 23-short-ton locomotives crossing the bridge in the 1850s, 170-short-ton locomotives were the common engines 40 years later. The weight of these trains exceeded the specifications of the Suspension Bridge, and the bridge companies took the opportunity to review and request the replacement of the bridge.

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