Selkirk Lift Bridge, bridge in Manitoba, Canada

The Selkirk Lift Bridge is a road bridge spanning the Red River in Selkirk, Manitoba, built with a steel truss structure and concrete supports. Its middle section operates as a vertical lift mechanism that raises and lowers using a pulley and weight system, allowing boats to pass underneath while serving two lanes of traffic and a pedestrian sidewalk.

Construction took place from 1935 to 1936 as a work relief project during the Great Depression, replacing the ferry service that had previously crossed the river. Official opening faced delays due to disputes over responsibility, but residents took action in 1937 to lower the lift span and allow traffic to flow, with the bridge later receiving major renovations completed in 1992.

The bridge is named after Selkirk, the town it links to the Rural Municipality of St. Clements. Before it opened, a busy ferry carried people across the Red River; the bridge replaced that crossing. A petition against tolls was sent to the government on June 16, 1936, showing how closely residents followed the project.

The lift span carries Manitoba Provincial Road 204 across the Red River, linking Selkirk with the Rural Municipality of St. Clements. The deck has two traffic lanes and a pedestrian sidewalk on one side. The bridge closed on January 6, 1992, for $2.8 million in repairs and reopened on September 12, 1992.

When no government body would take ownership of the new bridge, it was raised above its deck and timbers were laid across it to block crossing. A local man, Ed Maloney, lowered the span himself and opened it to traffic. Later it was raised again to let only pedestrians through before being lowered once more.