| Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge | |
|---|---|
Aerial picture of the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge and the Soo Locks |
|
| Carries | Two lanes of traffic (Lake Superior Circle Tour, Lake Huron Circle Tour) |
| Crosses | St. Marys River |
| Locale | Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan-Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario |
| Design | truss arch bridge |
| Total length | 2.8 miles (4.5 km) |
| Width | 28 feet (8.5 m) |
| Clearance below | 124 feet (38 m) |
| Opened | 1962 |
| Toll | US$3.00, C$3.20,[1] US$1.00 for bicycles |
| Daily traffic | 7,000 vehicles daily (average), 10,000 vehicles daily (peak) |
The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, often known just as the International Bridge, spans the St. Marys River between the United States and Canada connecting the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. It serves as the northern terminus of Interstate 75. The International Bridge began construction in 1960 and officially opened to traffic on October 31, 1962.[2] Daily operation is carried on by the International Bridge Administration (IBA) under the supervision of the Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Authority (SSMBA). The SSMBA replaced the previous Joint International Bridge Authority (JIBA) in 2009, which in turn had succeeded the International Bridge Authority (IBA, created in 1935) in 2000.
This is a steel truss arch bridge with suspended deck. There are two separate spans, a double arch span on the U.S. side and a single arch span on the Canadian side. The double arch spans cross the four U.S. Soo Locks. The single arch spans the single Canadian Lock. In Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, the bridge connects to a city street in the downtown core.
The total length of the bridge approaches 2.8 miles (4.5 km). The Bridge Authority allows bicycles to cross; however, there are no dedicated bike lanes. Cyclists must take proper precautions to ensure visibility.
Beginning in 1987, an annual International Bridge Walk has been held on the last Saturday in June, starting on the Michigan side, with participants finishing in Canada.
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On June 6, 2005, the Ontario government announced a construction project to build a dedicated truck bypass route to connect the bridge to Highway 17 in the north end of the city. The city had lobbied for this for some time, since the bridge's terminus at a city street was viewed by many residents of the city as a safety concern; however, the bridge terminus itself cannot be easily relocated due to the already highly urbanized nature of the Sault, Ontario waterfront. The truck route, known as Carmen's Way in memory of the city's former federal MP Carmen Provenzano, was officially opened in September 2006.
Construction work subsequently commenced in 2009 on a project to expand and modernize the Canadian bridge plaza, including a larger Canada Border Services Agency building with improved truck inspection facilities and a dedicated route to take trucks directly to Carmen's Way, thereby eliminating the need for trucking traffic to enter Huron Street.[3]
A tourist information radio station, CIRS, broadcasts at 530 AM from the Ontario side of the bridge.