Fairport Lift Bridge, Vertical-lift bridge in Fairport, New York, US
The Fairport Lift Bridge is a steel structure that spans the Erie Canal and allows boats to pass through when its deck is raised vertically. The bridge carries vehicle traffic across the waterway during normal operation.
The bridge was constructed between 1913 and 1914 by the Lackawanna Bridge Company of Buffalo, replacing an earlier fixed structure during a canal modernization project. It was built as part of infrastructure improvements that allowed the Erie Canal to handle increased shipping traffic.
The bridge stands as one of sixteen lift bridges along the western Erie Canal section, representing early 20th-century engineering developments in New York State.
The bridge operates on an electric motor system and opens to allow boats to pass through the canal. Visitors can cross on foot or by vehicle but should expect possible delays when the structure is raised for boat traffic.
The bridge features an unusual decagonal design where no two angles match and the surface pattern contains no square corners. This irregular approach reflects an interesting engineering choice for this early 20th-century structure.
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