Forks Road Bridge

Thanks to Jarek Piórkowski for visiting and photographing this bridge.

Believe it or not, this bridge is, or rather was, a vertical lift bridge... but its towers have been removed which make it look like a strange truss bridge. This bridge is located on a section of the old Welland Canal, which is no longer used anymore. The towers were removed so that the owners did not have to worry about them anymore. While this is a horrible thing to do as far as historic integrity is concerned, at the same time, I think the bridge looks nice even as it is. It just looks more like a stationary truss bridge. This bridge is also a good example of the decent bridge management that I see taking place in Ontario. In Michigan, bridges are often replaced just for the sake of replacement, regardless of the need. If this bridge were in Michigan, it is likely that the bridge would have been demolished and rebuilt completely. In my opinion, the Forks Highway Bridge today looks much more attractive than a modern bridge. Even without the towers, it still has all the aesthetic qualities of a through truss. Also, the modern vehicular railings that were added to this bridge look nicer than those on Main Street in Welland.

This bridge is next to the Forks Railroad Bridge.