Peace Bridge

The Peace Bridge is an international steel arch structure that carries highway traffic across the Niagara River between Buffalo in New York State and Fort Erie in Ontario. The design consists of five consecutive arch segments that span roughly 1,770 meters in total length, linking both shores and a low mid-river island along the way.

The crossing opened in August 1927 after two years of construction, creating the first road link between Lake Erie and Niagara Falls. Its name honors the peaceful relations between Canada and the United States after more than a century of shared border without military conflict.

Four thousand trucks cross this border point daily, making it a central connection for commerce between Canada and the United States.

The structure carries three traffic lanes with a center lane that reverses direction during rush hours, plus two walkways on the sides for people on foot or bicycles. Pedestrians and cyclists should expect stronger winds, as the span sits exposed above the river with no windbreak.

Engineers assembled the arch segments in free air above the water without building scaffolding from the riverbed, an unusual method for that era. Each of the large arch sections was floated into position on pontoons and then connected from both shores simultaneously.

Location: New York

Location: Ontario

Inception: June 1, 1927

Official opening: August 7, 1927

Longest Span: 130 m

Part of: Canada–United States border

GPS coordinates: 42.90690,-78.90560

Latest update: December 17, 2025 07:48