Editing Niagara Falls (section)

==Bridge crossings==
[[File:Rail Road Suspension Bridge Near Niagara Falls v2.jpg|thumb|left|Hand-colored lithograph of the (double-decked) Niagara Suspension Bridge, c. 1856]]
[[File:NU RM30 Niagara Cantilever Bridge.jpg|left|thumb|Niagara Cantilever Bridge, c. 1895]]

A number of bridges have spanned the Niagara River in the general vicinity of the falls. The first, not far from the [[Niagara Whirlpool|whirlpool]], was a suspension bridge above the gorge. It opened for use by the public in July 1848 and remained in use until 1855. A second bridge in the Upper Falls area was commissioned, with two levels or decks, one for use by the [[Great Western Railway]]. This [[Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge]] opened in 1855. It was used by conductors on the Underground Railroad to escort runaway slaves to Canada.<ref>Strand p. 114</ref> In 1882, the [[Grand Trunk Railway]] took over control of the second deck after it absorbed the Great Western company. Significant structural improvements were made in the late 1870s and then in 1886; this bridge remained in use until 1897.<ref name="auto1">{{cite news|title=THE LOWER NIAGARA BRIDGES|date=February 10, 2001|url=https://niagarafallsmuseums.ca/ts4fsuww-yyl.aspx|work=Niagara Falls Museums|access-date=January 10, 2020}}</ref>
 
Because of the volume of traffic, the decision was made to construct a new arch bridge nearby, under and around the existing bridge. After it opened in September 1897, a decision was made to remove and scrap the railway suspension bridge. This new bridge was initially known as the Niagara Railway Arch, or Lower Steel Arch Bridge; it had two decks, the lower one used for carriages and the upper for trains. In 1937, it was renamed the [[Whirlpool Rapids Bridge]] and remains in use today. All of the structures built up to that time were referred to as Lower Niagara bridges and were some distance from the falls.<ref name="auto1"/>

The first bridge in the so-called Upper Niagara area (closer to the falls) was a two-level suspension structure that opened in January 1869; it was destroyed during a severe storm in January 1889. The replacement was built quickly and opened in May 1889. In order to handle heavy traffic, a second bridge was commissioned, slightly closer to American Falls. This one was a steel bridge and opened to traffic in June 1897; it was known as the Upper Steel Arch Bridge but was often called the [[Honeymoon Bridge (Niagara Falls)|Honeymoon Bridge]]. The single level included a track for trolleys and space for carriages and pedestrians. The design led to the bridge being very close to the surface of the river and in January 1938, an ice jam twisted the steel frame of the bridge which later collapsed on January 27, 1938.<ref name="auto">{{cite news|title=THE UPPER NIAGARA BRIDGES|date=February 10, 2001|url=https://niagarafallsmuseums.ca/discover-our-history/history-notes/upperbridges.aspx|work=Niagara Falls Museums|access-date=January 10, 2020}}</ref>
[[File:15-23-0882, rainbow bridge from observation deck - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The [[Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls)|Rainbow Bridge]], the first bridge downstream from the falls]]

Another Lower Niagara bridge had been commissioned in 1883 by [[Cornelius Vanderbilt]] for use by railways at a location roughly approximately {{convert|200|ft|m|order=flip|sigfig=1}} south of the Railway Suspension Bridge. This one was of an entirely different design; it was a [[cantilever bridge]] to provide greater strength. The [[Niagara Cantilever Bridge]] had two cantilevers which were joined by steel sections; it opened officially in December 1883, and improvements were made over the years for a stronger structure. As rail traffic was increasing, the [[Michigan Central Railroad]] company decided to build a new bridge in 1923, to be located between the Lower Steel Arch Bridge and the Cantilever Bridge. The [[Michigan Central Railway Bridge]] opened in February 1925 and remained in use until the early 21st century. The Cantilever Bridge was removed and scrapped after the new rail bridge opened.<ref name="auto1"/> Nonetheless, it was inducted into the [[North America Railway Hall of Fame]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://casostation.ca/mcr-cantilever-bridge/|title=MCR Cantilever Bridges|date=June 10, 2006|work=NARHF|access-date=January 10, 2020|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804130941/http://casostation.ca/mcr-cantilever-bridge/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/>

There was a lengthy dispute as to which agency should build the replacement for the Niagara Railway Arch, or Lower Steel Arch Bridge in the Upper Niagara area. When that was resolved, construction of a steel bridge commenced in February 1940. Named the [[Rainbow Bridge (Niagara Falls)|Rainbow Bridge]], and featuring two lanes for traffic separated by a barrier, it opened in November 1941 and remains in use today.<ref name="auto"/>