South Grand Island Bridge

South Grand Island Bridge
South Grand Island Bridge from Isle View Park in Tonawanda
Carries	4 lanes of I-190
Crosses	Niagara River
Locale	Tonawanda, New York and Grand Island, New York
Maintained by	New York State Thruway
Design	truss arch
Total length	3,400 feet (1,036 m)
Opened	1935, 1962
Toll	$1.00 (northbound) (E-ZPass)
Coordinates	42°59′54″N 78°56′14″W

The South Grand Island Bridge carries Interstate 190 across the Niagara River between Tonawanda, New York and Grand Island, New York. The toll plaza (total of 7 booths) is found on the Tonawanda side of the bridge; Only 2 booths (1 and 7) are EZ-Pass, the remainder are manned booths.

The twin Truss arch bridges (with a steel through-arch in the middle) crosses from Tonawanda to Grand Island and was opened in 1935 and 1962. It was acquired by New York State in 1950 and operated by the New York State Thruway.

The South Grand Island Bridges have a 93 foot navigation clearance, which was designed to allow tall lake freighters and tanker ships pass beneath it.

The northbound south bridge is scheduled to be renovated by American Bridge Company from 2008 to 2010. American Bridge Company will replace the deck (road), sidewalk, and barriers as part of a $48 million project.

While the twin bridges were built decades apart, they appear nearly identical. It is clear that builders in the 1960s took great care in matching the original 1930s architecture. However, if you look closely, there are slight differences. The 1935 bridge has a stone cutwaters on the piers, while the 1962 bridge has steel-faced cutwaters. Also, the renovations on the southbound (1962) bridge have resulted in a guard rail that looks much different from the one on the 1935 bridge.

See also

• List of crossings of the Niagara River
• North Grand Island Bridge
• Historic Bridges - South Grand Island Bridge

References

• Pictures of South Grand Island Bridges 8-4-07
• Highlights of the History of Grand Island, NY
• American Bridge