Rainbow International Bridge

Efforts to build and maintain bridges between the USA and Canada near Niagara Falls began in the mid-1800s, and continues to this day. During that time, a total of 15 international bridges have been built, although many do not still remain.

One of the bridges is the Rainbow International Bridge, which was built in 1941 and connects the cities of Niagara Falls, Canada and Niagara Falls, USA. This bridge is a hingeless steel arch bridge. It was built near the site of the Honeymoon Bridge, which collapsed in 1938 due to an ice jam. The abutments and approach spans of the Rainbow Bridge rest on solid rock, and are high enough to avoid a similar collapse.

The bridge was named the Rainbow Bridge because of the rainbows that frequently form near the bridge due to water spray and mist in the air from Niagara Falls.

This bridge was reportedly the longest hingeless steel arch bridge ever constructed at the time of its construction. A hingeless arch bridge (also called a fixed arch bridge) has an arch which is fixed to the abutment, and transfers the moments directly to the abutments. This allows no rotations at the foundations, which creates a very stiff structure with very little defelection. However, it requires that the ground be very stable since a great deal of forces are generated at the foundation.

This bridge does not permit commercial trucks, but does allow pedestrians. The Canadian side of the bridge charges a $1 toll to leave the bridge, and the USA side has a customs stop. It seems like it is possible to get stranded on the bridge if you don’t have a wallet or passport with you.