Thousand Islands Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Thousand Islands Bridge is an international bridge system over the Saint Lawrence River
connecting northern New York
in the United States
with southeastern Ontario
in Canada
. Constructed in 1937, with additions in 1959, the bridges span the United States-Canada border in the middle of the Thousand Islands
region, from which it derives its name. The bridges all carry two lanes of traffic (one in each direction) and pedestrian sidewalks, and is administered by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, an international agency.
The actual international border bridge crossing is a set of two parallel 90 ft (27.4 m) long bridges between Wellesley Island
in the United States and Hill Island in Canada.
and the northern end of the bridge connects to Highway 401
via Highway 137
. There is also an interchange with the Thousand Islands Parkway
on the Ontario side.
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
connecting northern New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with southeastern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Constructed in 1937, with additions in 1959, the bridges span the United States-Canada border in the middle of the Thousand Islands
Thousand Islands
The Thousand Islands is the name of an archipelago of islands that straddle the Canada-U.S. border in the Saint Lawrence River as it emerges from the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. They stretch for about downstream from Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario, the...
region, from which it derives its name. The bridges all carry two lanes of traffic (one in each direction) and pedestrian sidewalks, and is administered by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, an international agency.
The actual international border bridge crossing is a set of two parallel 90 ft (27.4 m) long bridges between Wellesley Island
Wellesley Island
Wellesley Island in Jefferson County, New York, USA is partially in the Town of Orleans and partially in the Town of Alexandria.-Geography:...
in the United States and Hill Island in Canada.
Structure
The bridge is actually not a single bridge but rather a series of 5 bridges that span parts of the St. Lawrence River, ultimately connecting both banks. The southern end of the bridge connects with Interstate 81Interstate 81
Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...
and the northern end of the bridge connects to Highway 401
Highway 401 (Ontario)
King's Highway 401, also known by its official name as the Macdonald–Cartier Freeway and colloquially as the four-oh-one, is a 400-Series Highway in the Canadian province of Ontario stretching from Windsor to the Quebec border...
via Highway 137
Highway 137 (Ontario)
King's Highway 137, also known as Highway 137, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario which serves to connect the northern end of Interstate 81 in New York with Highway 401, via the Canadian span of the Thousand Islands Bridge...
. There is also an interchange with the Thousand Islands Parkway
Thousand Islands Parkway
The Thousand Islands Parkway is a parkway in the Canadian province of Ontario, which extends easterly from an interchange with Highway 401 in Gananoque for approximately to the community of Butternut Bay, in Elizabethtown-Kitley, west of Brockville....
on the Ontario side.
History
From ground-breaking ceremonies to completion, the entire Thousand Islands Bridge system took sixteen months to complete, which was ten weeks ahead of schedule. The total cost was $3,050,000. In the early years of its operation, the bridge usually had 150,000 vehicle crossings annually. Today, however, annual crossings exceed 2,000,000 vehicles.Future
Thousand Island Bridge Authority is conducting a study to determine, among other things, when the bridge will reach its operational limits and how to reduce delay on the bridge.See also
- List of crossings of the Saint Lawrence River
- Dewolf Point State ParkDewolf Point State ParkDewolf Point State Park is a small park on Wellesley Island in the St. Lawrence River.-Location in the State of New York:Dewolf Point State Park is situated within the Town of Orleans.The Park forms part of Jefferson County, New York.-Opening season:...
- Sewells Road Suspension Bridge
- Ogdensburg–Prescott International Bridge
- Ambassador BridgeAmbassador BridgeThe Ambassador Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects Detroit, Michigan, in the United States, with Windsor, Ontario, in Canada. It is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume: more than 25 percent of all merchandise trade between the United States...