The Fairport Lift Bridge is a

through-truss A truss bridge is a bridge whose load-bearing superstructure is composed of a truss, a structure of connected elements, usually forming triangular units. The connected elements (typically straight) may be stressed from tension (mechanics), tensi ...

mechanical

lift bridge A vertical-lift bridge or just lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck. The vertical lift offers several benefits over other movable bridges such as the bascule and sw ...

that carries NY Route 250 (Main Street) over the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

in downtown

Fairport, New York Fairport is a village located in the Town of Perinton, which is part of Monroe County, New York, United States. Fairport is a suburb east of Rochester. It is also known as the "Crown Jewel of the Erie Canal". In 2005, it was named as one of t ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

.The Erie Canal - Fairport Lift Bridge
Retrieved Sep. 6, 2017.The Travels of Tug 44 - Fairport Lift Bridge
Retrieved Sep. 6, 2017. It was constructed in 1913-1914 by the Lackawanna Bridge Company of

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

and contracted by H.S. Kerbaugh, Inc. of

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, replacing an 80 ft (24 m) fixed bridge built in 1886 which was removed when the Erie Canal was widened.Village of Fairport OCED - ''Unique Main Street Lift Bridge''
Retrieved Sep. 6, 2017. The Fairport Lift Bridge officially opened to automobile traffic on August 15, 1914. Originally having a wooden deck made of yellow pine, the bridge floor was replaced with steel grating in later years.Perinton Historical Society - ''Main Street Lift Bridge''
Retrieved Sep. 6, 2017. It is one of sixteen vertical lift bridges located along the western portion of the Erie Canal between Fairport and Lockport. The 139 ft (42 m) bridge is of unique design, being a

decagon In geometry, a decagon (from the Greek δέκα ''déka'' and γωνία ''gonía,'' "ten angles") is a ten-sided polygon or 10-gon.. The total sum of the interior angles of a simple decagon is 1440°. A self-intersecting ''regular decagon'' i ...

al style structure with no two angles the same throughout and no square corners on the bridge floor. It also crosses the canal at a 32-degree angle with the southern side being on the higher end. Powered by 40-

horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...

electric motors, the bridge has a vertical lift of 10.6 ft (3.2 m). The structure is entirely raised straight up on four corner posts despite the bridge floor having a 4% grade. Over an average water level on the Erie Canal, approximate clearances below the bridge are 6 ft (2 m) when lowered and 16 ft (5 m) when raised. The control building is located on the southeast side of the bridge. Due to increased traffic usage and need of significant repairs, the Fairport Lift Bridge was threatened to be replaced in the 1970s with a new concrete bridge spanning both the railroad tracks and canal. A decision was eventually made to replace the bridge at nearby Turk Hill Road instead to ease congestion and keep the historic lift bridge in place on Main Street. Because of its unusual appearance, the Fairport Lift Bridge was apparently listed in '' Ripley's Believe It or Not!''''Democrat & Chronicle'', ''Fairport bridge is one-of-a-kind'' by Alan Morrell, April 1, 2015
Retrieved Sep. 6, 2017. On September 4, 2019, the New York State Department of Transportation closed the Fairport Lift Bridge for general maintenance and rehabilitation. It was re-opened on June 25, 2021. ochester First, ''Fairport Lift Bridge is officially open, after nearly 2 years of work'', WROC TV Channel 8 Staff, June 28, 2021 (revised July 2, 2021) Retrieved Sep. 18, 2021. The bridge was previously refurbished in 1988, although some repair work was also done in 2013. As part of the

New York State Barge Canal New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

system, the Fairport Lift Bridge was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on October 15, 2014.National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places - New York State Barge Canal, Continuation Sheet (Section 7, Page 129 -- Fairport Lift Bridge)
Retrieved Sep. 13, 2017.

References

External links

Perinton Historical Society - ''Main Street Lift Bridge''The Travels of Tug 44 - Fairport Lift Bridge
{{National Register of Historic Places in New York Bridges completed in 1914 Bridges in Monroe County, New York Truss bridges in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Monroe County, New York Steel bridges in the United States

See also

References

External links