Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge

The International Bridge, or, more properly, the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, spans the St. Mary's 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. Its day to day operation is carried on by the International Bridge Administration (IBA) under the supervision of the Joint International Bridge Authority (JIBA), which succeeded the International Bridge Authority (IBA, created in 1935) in 2000.

Related Topics:
St. Mary's River - United States - Canada - Sault Ste. Marie - Michigan - Sault Ste. Marie - Ontario - Interstate 75 - 1960 - October 31 - 1962 - 1935 - 2000

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This is a steel truss arch bridge with suspended deck. There are two separate spans, a double arch span on the American side and a single arch span on the Canadian side. The double arch spans cross the Soo Locks. In Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, the bridge connects to a city street in the downtown core.

Related Topics:
Truss arch bridge - Soo Locks

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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 directly 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.

Related Topics:
June 6 - 2005 - Highway 17

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The total length of the bridge approaches 2.8 miles (4.5 km).

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