Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge

Infobox_Bridge
bridge_name=Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge


caption=Aerial picture of the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge and the Soo Locks
official_name=
carries=Two lanes of traffic
crosses=St. Marys River
locale=Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan-Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
maint=
id=
design=truss arch bridge
mainspan=
length=2.8 miles
width=28 feet
clearance=
below=124 feet
traffic=7,000 vehicles daily (average), 10,000 vehicles daily (peak)
open=1962
closed=
toll=$2.00 (USD), $2.00 (CAD), $1.00 (USD) for bicycles
map_cue=
map_

map_text=
map_width=
coordinates=
lat=46.50703
long=-84.36132The International Bridge, or, more properly, the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, spans the St. Marys River between the United States and Canada connecting the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. It serves as the northern terminus of Interstate 75. The International Bridge began construction in 1960 and officially opened to traffic on October 31, 1962. Its day to day operation is carried on by the International Bridge Administration (IBA) under the supervision of the Joint International Bridge Authority (JIBA), which succeeded the International Bridge Authority (IBA, created in 1935) in 2000.

This is a steel truss arch bridge with suspended deck. There are two separate spans, a double arch span on the U.S. side and a single arch span on the Canadian side. The double arch spans cross the four U.S. Soo Locks. The single arch spans the single Canadian Lock. In Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, the bridge connects to a city street in the downtown core.

On June 6, 2005, the Ontario government announced a construction project to build a dedicated truck bypass route to connect the bridge directly to Highway 17 in the north end of the city. The city had lobbied for this for some time, since the bridge's terminus at a city street was viewed by many residents of the city as a safety concern. However, the bridge terminus itself cannot be easily relocated due to the already highly urbanized nature of the Sault, Ontario waterfront. The truck route, known as Carmen's Way in memory of the city's former federal Member of Parliament Carmen Provenzano, was officially opened in September 2006.

The total length of the bridge approaches 2.8 miles (4.5 km). The Bridge Authority allows bicycles to cross; however, there are no dedicated bike lanes. Cyclists must take proper precautions to ensure visibility.

ervices

A tourist information radio station, CIRS, broadcasts at 530 AM from the Ontario side of the bridge.

References

*cite web
url=http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9618_48384-30286--,00.html
title=Bridge Facts & Trivia|publisher=Michigan Department of Transportation|accessdate=2008-06-01

External links

* [http://www.michigan.gov/iba International Bridge]
* [http://www.historicbridges.org/other/international/index.htm International Bridge Photos]
* [http://www.pir.gov.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/cma_4_42178_1.html Announcement of truck route construction by the Ontario Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal]