Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, Steel arch bridge between New York and Ontario.
Whirlpool Rapids Bridge is a two-deck riveted steel arch bridge across the Niagara River between Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York. Its two-hinged arch spans 167.6 meters, and the rail deck sits 68.6 meters above the river. The upper deck carries the single track used by Amtrak and Via Rail's Maple Leaf; the lower deck has one NEXUS-only lane in each direction.
The Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge, opened in 1855 as the world's first working railway suspension bridge, could not carry the 170-short-ton locomotives common by the 1890s. Engineer Leffert L. Buck built the steel arch replacement around and below it from April 1896, keeping traffic running. The last suspension pieces were dismantled on 27 August 1897, and its materials were recycled by the Pennsylvania Steel Company.
The lower deck was converted in 2009 to a single NEXUS-only lane, limiting access to travelers enrolled in the trusted traveler program. This shift turned what was once a general crossing into a specialized route for frequent border crossers already cleared by immigration authorities.
All vehicle occupants must hold NEXUS cards before crossing, as no standard passport lanes exist on the lower deck. The lane is limited to standard vehicles, and trucks or larger commercial loads must use alternative crossings along the Niagara River.
The crossing sits directly above the point where the river bends sharply and creates a natural whirlpool effect visible from the structure itself. Railway trains continue to pass on the upper level, even though vehicle traffic below has been sharply reduced.
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