The South Grand Island Bridge is a pair of twin two-lane
truss arch bridge
A truss arch bridge combines the elements of the truss bridge and the arch bridge. The actual resolution of forces will depend upon the design. If no horizontal thrusting forces are generated this becomes an arch-shaped truss, essentially a bent b ...
s spanning the
Niagara River
The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York (state), New York in the United States (on the east) ...
between
Tonawanda and
Grand Island in
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
, United States. Each bridge carries one direction of
Interstate 190 (I-190) and
New York State Route 324 (NY 324). Both crossings are operated by the
New York State Thruway Authority
The New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) is a public benefit corporation in New York State, United States. The NYSTA was formed in 1950 with the responsibility of constructing, maintaining, and operating the New York State Thruway, a syste ...
as part of the
Niagara Thruway
Niagara may refer to:
Geography Niagara Falls and nearby places In both the United States and Canada
*Niagara Falls, the famous waterfalls in the Niagara River
* Niagara River, part of the U.S.–Canada border
* Niagara Escarpment, the cliff ...
. The southbound span was opened in 1935 and acquired by the State of New York in 1950. The northbound span was finished in 1963. A northbound-only toll is collected via Electronic Tolling.
Description
The bridges are twin
truss arch bridge
A truss arch bridge combines the elements of the truss bridge and the arch bridge. The actual resolution of forces will depend upon the design. If no horizontal thrusting forces are generated this becomes an arch-shaped truss, essentially a bent b ...
s with a steel through-arch in the middle. Both crossings have a navigation clearance,
which was designed to allow tall
lake freighter
Lake freighters, or lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that operate on the Great Lakes of North America. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships.
Since the late 19th century, lakers have carried bulk cargoes of m ...
s and tanker ships to pass beneath it.
A northbound-only toll is presently collected via
open-road cashless tolling. The open-road tolling began operating on March 29, 2018, replacing conventional toll booths.
The tollbooths were dismantled, and drivers are no longer able to pay cash at the bridge. Instead, drivers will travel beneath an overhead gantry where their E-ZPass transponder will be detected and charged. Drivers without an E-ZPass will have a picture of their license plate taken, and the toll will be mailed to them.
History
The southbound bridge was completed in 1935. Mr. Frank J. Offermann Sr., the former Sheriff of Erie County, owner of the Buffalo Bisons Ball Club and prominent resident of Grand Island was active in getting the bridges sanctioned. Also in 1935 after his untimely death, Supervisor Messmer proposed changing the name of the boulevard connecting the Grand Island Bridges to Offermann Drive, however this was never done, reference Buffalo Courier Express Feb 14, 1935. as a two-lane, two-way structure carrying
NY 325 from Tonawanda to Grand Island.
It became part of
NY 324 by 1937. In 1950, the State of New York assumed ownership of the bridge as part of the
Niagara Thruway
Niagara may refer to:
Geography Niagara Falls and nearby places In both the United States and Canada
*Niagara Falls, the famous waterfalls in the Niagara River
* Niagara River, part of the U.S.–Canada border
* Niagara Escarpment, the cliff ...
's construction. A twin bridge erected to the northeast of the original structure was completed in 1963, at which time all northbound traffic was moved onto the new crossing and the 1935 span became southbound-only.
While the twin bridges were built decades apart, they appear nearly identical. It is clear that builders in the 1960s took great care in matching the original 1930s architecture, but there are slight differences. The 1935 bridge has stone cutwaters on the piers, while the 1963 bridge has steel-faced cutwaters.
Also, renovations of the southbound bridge have created a guard rail that looks quite different from the one on the northbound bridge.
The northbound span was renovated by
American Bridge Company
The American Bridge Company is a heavy/civil construction firm that specializes in building and renovating bridges and other large, complex structures. Founded in 1900, the company is headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pitts ...
from 2008 to 2010. American Bridge Company replaced the deck (road), sidewalk, and barriers as part of a $48 million project.
In August 2019, the bridges were closed to the public to be used as a filming site for ''
A Quiet Place Part II
''A Quiet Place Part II'' is a 2020 American post-apocalyptic horror film written and directed by John Krasinski. It is the sequel to the 2018 film '' A Quiet Place'', following the family from the first film as they continue to navigate and su ...
''.
See also
*
*
*
*
List of crossings of the Niagara River
*
North Grand Island Bridge
The North Grand Island Bridge is a pair of twin two-lane truss arch bridges spanning the Niagara River between Grand Island and Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning t ...
References
External links
Pictures of South Grand Island Bridges 8-4-07American Bridge Company
{{New York State Thruway Authority
Transportation buildings and structures in Buffalo, New York
Bridges completed in 1935
Bridges completed in 1962
Toll bridges in New York (state)
New York State Thruway Authority
Bridges over the Niagara River
Road bridges in New York (state)
Interstate 90
Bridges on the Interstate Highway System
Tolled sections of Interstate Highways
Truss arch bridges in the United States
Through arch bridges in the United States
Steel bridges in the United States
Transportation buildings and structures in Erie County, New York