Peace Bridge Milestones - "The Bridge that Peace Built"

Peace is achieved between Indigenous Peoples on both sides of the Niagara River, forming the Iroquois confederacy.

In 1812 the U.S. declares war against Great Britain, and thus Upper Canada. Peace is achieved in 1814.

The City of Buffalo is incorporated.

Fort Porter, consisting of many outbuildings, is constructed between 1840 and 1850. In 1925 it is purchased by the City of Buffalo ($100,000) and the Peace Bridge Company ($300,000) for the construction of the U.S. plaza.

Buffalo Common Council minutes express the need for a bridge to cross the Niagara River. Between 1851 and 1927 there were ten or eleven organized efforts to construct a bridge at this point on the Niagara River.

The Village of Fort Erie is incorporated.

On July 30, 1913 Erie Beach hosts an International Peace Demonstration – 45,000 people attend and support plans for a peace memorial bridge. Tags were sold to raise funds for this celebration.

In August 1914 Canada enters WWI. Plans for building a bridge are put on hold. In January 1919 WWI ends. The West Side Business Men’s Association of Buffalo revive the memorial bridge project. Pictured here is a WWI military post in Bridgeburg.

The American Public Bridge Company is incorporated (1922). The Canadian Public Bridge Company is incorporated (1923). A single entity, the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Company is incorporated (1925) and they adopt the name “Peace Bridge” for the memorial bridge project.

1925 - On June 2, 1925 bonds financing the Peace Bridge are placed on the market. They are oversubscribed by four times in twelve hours.

Ground breaking ceremonies are held on the Fort Erie side on August 17, 1925. A public celebration for the future Peace Bridge is held at Erie Beach on August 26th (shown in this photo).

The first caisson is launched from Fort Erie on September 10, 1925.

It is towed into place and used to form pier 3.

The first steel is laid by Bethlehem Steel Co. on February 24, 1926. This first steel girder is 88 feet long and weighs 69,230 lbs. It is placed over the New York Central train tracks at Massachusetts Ave. in Buffalo, between piers A1 and A2.

On October 15, 1926 the final rivet is driven into place, setting a world record for building a steel bridge of this size, beating the former record by five days.

On May 13, 1927 Chief engineer Edward Lupfer drives the first automobile over the bridge.

On June 1, 1927 a small ceremony is held by the directors of the Bridge Company to mark the opening of the bridge to the public – 25,000 vehicles cross the bridge that day. Dorothy Gantzer is the first to walk across from Fort Erie to Buffalo. 

On June 3, 1927 the first delegation crosses the bridge – 400 Fort Erie Public School children marching in recognition of King George V’s birthday. Two days later, Major Herbert Dargue of Auburn, New York flies the first plane under the bridge. The first smuggler is caught by Canadian Customs on July 4, 1927 and is fined $500 for attempting to bring in 21 cartons of cigarettes.

Canadian terminal – 13 acres; U.S. terminal – 4.4 acres; total length of bridge and terminals – 5,800 feet; length of steel work – 3,500 feet; weight of structural steel – 8,643,469 tons; total concrete – 36,000 cubic yards; granite block pavement – 18,500 square yards; truss over canal – 360 feet; clearance above canal – 100 feet; roadway – 36 feet curb to curb; concrete balustrade – 8,450 linear feet; velocity of current – 7.5 to 12 miles per hour.

The Iroquois hold a Peace League ceremony on August 6, 1927 at the bridge to celebrate peace since 1142. An historical pageant and parade are held for 15,000 people at Erie Beach as a prelude to the opening ceremonies for the bridge.

The official opening ceremonies for the bridge are held on August 7, 1927. The first international coast-to-coast radio broadcast transmits from the Peace Bridge – approximately 50 million tune in.

The first Canadian Administration Building is constructed in 1927. The U.S. counterpart (shown in this photo) is constructed circa 1928.

In 1930 toll booths and 15 lighting towers are built at the Canadian plaza. The U.S. plaza is widened to 90 feet. The towers are later removed in 1939.

In 1931 according to “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not”, the Peace Bridge is the only bridge in existence with three types of construction within the same structure: girder, truss and arch.

On May 3, 1934 the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Company becomes the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority. Due to the Depression and impending bankruptcy, the bridge passes from private to public ownership. In 1957 the Board composition changed to 10 members – 5 Canadians and 5 Americans.

Alonzo Mather bequeaths $125,000 to the Public Bridge Authority which is used to improve the bridge approaches, install modern lighting and memorial plaques.

Canadian Plaza construction projects include: widening the approaches, an addition to the truck warehouse, changes to the inspection booths, construction of a bridge underpass, bus and secondary inspection buildings, and new canopies over the inspection booths.

U.S. plaza construction projects include: opening Baird Drive to increase capacity, installation of electro-mechanical equipment, and construction of a new truck warehouse. The new U.S. administration building opens in 1956 with a second floor added in 1968.

Canadian plaza improvements include: improving the approaches, additional inspection lanes and booths, and new inspection canopies.

The 100 millionth car crosses the bridge on December 12, 1963. Bernard Burrows and family of West Seneca, New York receive a transistor radio and a trophy. This photo shows the quarter Mr. Burrows used to pay the toll.

The concrete bridge railings are replaced with galvanized steel, thus removing 1,000 tons of weight.

The Public Bridge Authority commissions its first study to widen, twin or replace the existing bridge.

On July 13, 1969 the highest number of vehicles to cross the bridge in a 24-hour period is 47,957. The highest number of vehicles to cross in one year is 10,170,429 (1981). 

On April 1, 1971 tolls for cars are raised for the first time in Peace Bridge history – from twenty-five cents to thirty-five cents. Tolls become one-way only in 1993.

New truck yards are built in the Canadian plaza.

In 1971 the Q.E.W. is connected directly to the Peace Bridge, and the southbound New York State Thruway is connected to the U.S. plaza (shown in this photo). Formerly, it was connected via Porter Ave. in 1964.

The bridge lanes are changed from 4 nine-foot lanes to 3 twelve-foot lanes. Overhead lane controls are installed. The granite block road surface is replaced with concrete. Later a latex modified concrete layer is installed in 1987-1989.

The U.S. secondary inspection building is completed.

International telephone ducts under the bridge are replaced. Fiber-optic cables are added in 2002 for the “information super highway”.

The original sidewalks, which lasted 49 years, are replaced.

The bridge’s 50th anniversary is marked with the simultaneous Canadian and American issue of commemorative stamps.

Designed for commuters on their way to work in Buffalo, this pass provides quick processing through Customs. This program represents the first express lane on the U.S.-Canada border. The program is expanded in 1990 to include any U.S. citizen and in 1991, to any Canadian citizen.

Barge 45 lodges itself against pier 4 of the bridge (August 7). A barge working to free Barge 45 also becomes lodged and the bridge is closed to traffic overnight for the first time (December 2). Barge 45 is freed from pier 4 (December 13).

A new Canadian Administration Building opens on June 28, 1990.

New buildings in the Canadian plaza include Public Bridge Authority Offices and Canada Border Services Agency Offices (Customs and Immigration).