The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission will mark its 69 th year of operation on June 16, 2007. A bi-national commission, the NFBC was constituted as a United States instrumentality, created by a joint resolution of the 1938 U.S. Congressional Third Session to build, maintain and operate the Rainbow Bridge between the cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York. In Canada, it is licensed under the Extra Corporations Law of the Province of Ontario.

Based upon successful operation of the Rainbow Bridge, the Commission was given the added responsibility of purchasing, maintaining and operating the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge in 1959 and, in 1960, of constructing and operating the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. A major rebuild of the Rainbow Bridge was completed in 2000, and a similar modernization at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge is underway now (2007).

The Commission is also responsible for the building and maintenance of facilities for customs and immigration functions on both sides of the border.

The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission is self-supported, largely through user fees (tolls) and tenant leases. Until 2004 it had never received funds from any government, but in that year it accepted $30 million in support of the Fifth Lane Project from the Canadian and Ontario Governments. The NFBC is federally chartered to issue federal (US) tax-exempt bonds.

An eight person Board of Commissioners whose composition is equally divided between Canada and the United States oversees the Commission’s operations. Canadian members serve at the pleasure of the Premier of Ontario and American members at the pleasure of the Governor of the State of New York. Today’s Commissioners are Janice A. Thomson (CA), James W. Ward (US) Robert E. Lewis (US), Kenneth E. Loucks (CA), Bruce D. McCuaig (CA), William G. Mayne, Jr. (US), Barry Swartz (US), and Brian H. Wilkie (CA). The Board of Commissioners appoints the General Manager, Thomas E. Garlock.

With Canada-USA bi-lateral trade now exceeding two billion United States dollars daily, the growing share carried across the NFBC bridges, particularly the Lewiston-Queenston crossing, is significant.

The Rainbow Bridge Opened 1941

Ground was broken for the project on May 4, 1940 at a site approximately 550 feet downstream from that formerly occupied by the Falls View Bridge. At this point, about 1,000 feet downstream from the American Falls, the gorge is about 200 feet deep and 1,000 feet wide. The great steel arch of the bridge has a span of 950 feet and rises from its supporting abutments on the American and Canadian sides of the river to the level of the top of the gorge. At the time of construction this was the longest hingeless arch in the world until the completion of the Commission's new Lewiston-Queenston Bridge in 1962.

The deck of the bridge is 202 feet above normal water level of the river, and is 1,450 feet long with two, two-lane twenty-two foot roadways separated by a four-foot central mall and ten-foot sidewalk along the south side, facing the Falls. The span is practically level and on grade with the natural top level of the gorge. With no other superstructure than its railings, the Falls and river below are in open view.

In October of 2000, a complete re-construction of the bridge plazas in both countries, as well as a widening of approaches to both plazas was completed at a cost of $72,000,000 (US). There are in all 18 traffic lanes on the New York side and 16 on the Ontario side to facilitate the movement of traffic and government inspection.

The Rainbow Bridge is a major tourism gateway for both countries, supporting a tourism industry on both sides of the border that generates millions of dollars in economic activity for Ontario and New York.

No trucks are permitted to use the Rainbow Bridge. Passenger vehicle and bus crossings total 4,500,000 in a normal year.

Lewiston-Queenston Bridge Opened 1962

Built at a cost of $16,000,000 (US) by the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission to replace the old Lewiston-Queenston Suspension Bridge, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge connects US Interstate 190 with Highway 405 in Canada and is located approximately 5 miles north of the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge. This 5-lane bridge is the world's longest hingeless steel arch bridge and lanes can be configured in a number of combinations to support types of traffic and changing volumes. The total length from abutment to abutment (in the bank) is 1,600 feet, and the deck of the bridge is 370 feet above water. Its overall design is identical to the Rainbow Bridge, and, like the Rainbow and Whirlpool Rapids Bridges, is a high-level bridge across the Niagara gorge. The Lewiston-Queenston Bridge makes direct connections with the New York Thruway in New York State and, via Highway 405, the Queen Elizabeth Highway in Ontario.

To assure maximum efficiency in planning the original service facilities and terminals for the new bridge, American and Canada Custom officials were consulted as to layout and design suggestions for the buildings they now occupy. Both plazas, now 40 years old, are now the subject of discussion between the Commission and the governments of the United States and Canada for replacement. In partnership with the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada, in 2005, the deck of the bridge was reconfigured to add a fifth lane to the span for the purpose of establishing express treatment for traffic participating in pre-arrival, pre-screening programs (FAST). The Province of Ontario, with support from the Government of Canada, has constructed additional lanes on the Highway 405 approach to the bridge to support FAST and mitigate backups in crossing the border.

Under normal conditions, the bridge carries more than 1,000,000 trucks and 3,500,000 passenger vehicles and buses each year.

The Queenston-Lewiston is the fourth highest volume commercial bridge between Canada and the United States.

The Whirlpool Rapids Bridge Opened 1897

The Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, formerly known as the Lower Steel Arch Bridge, was built in 1897 and purchased by the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission in 1959. The Whirlpool is situated 1.4 miles north of the Rainbow Bridge and is a steel arch spanning 550 feet, with a total length of bridge 1,069 feet. It carries one railroad track above and a 26-ft. width two-way roadway below.

The Whirlpool is a passenger vehicle only span, but also serves as a vital passenger rail link between Canada and the US as a crossing for Amtrak and VIA Rail on its upper deck. With the diversion of most freight traffic further south to the International Rail Bridge, the Whirlpool is no longer used to move freight.

In 1998 the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge took on new significance as a “CANPASS only” crossing into Canada. This pre-screening program to identify low, or no risk persons, and a precursor to NEXUS, proved most successful. While total crossings dropped from approximately 1,100,000 to 750,000 annually, the span provided a high level of service to regular commuters, particularly during the tourism season. Just a short distance from the Rainbow Bridge, the Whirlpool can be considered as an additional lane in each direction of the Rainbow.

On September 11 of 2001, United States Customs requested that the Bridge Commission close the Whirlpool to enable the deployment of personnel to the Rainbow and Lewiston-Queenston crossings. The Commission agreed and the bridge remained closed until May 1 of 2002 when it was reopened as the only land border crossing at which Canada continued to permit the use of CANPASS. At the request of the inspection agencies of both countries, hours of the Whirlpool have been limited to 7am to 11pm each day.

Both governments, effective March 1, 2004 have designated the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge as “NEXUS Only.” With that status, NEXUS holders now enjoy the most efficient bridge crossing between the two countries.

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