Whirlpool Rapids Bridge

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{{Infobox_Bridge |bridge_name= Whirlpool Rapids Bridge |image= Whirlpool rapids bridge.gif |caption= Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, photo by Alan Teichman / and structurae |official_name= |also_known_as= Lower Bridge |carries= 5 lanes (upper)
1 rail line (lower) |crosses= Niagara River |locale= Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York |maint= Niagara Falls Bridge Commission |id= |design= Arch bridge |mainspan= |length= |width= |clearance= |below= |traffic= |open= 1897 |closed= |toll= |map_cue= |map_image= |map_text= |map_width= |lat= |long= }}

The Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, commonly called the Whirlpool Bridge or Lower Bridge, is a spandrel braced, riveted, two-hinged arch bridge.

This is an international bridge between Canada and the United States. It connects the commercial downtown districts of Niagara Falls, New York, and Niagara Falls, Ontario. This bridge is located approximately 1.5 km (1 mi.) north of the Rainbow Bridge and about 2 km (1.25 mi) from the Falls. This bridge was acquired by the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission in January 1959.

The bridge was constructed between 1896 and 1897. The bridge has two decks. The upper deck carries the railway traffic while the lower deck is a roadway reserved for passenger vehicles. The Whirlpool Bridge is reserved for subscribers to NEXUS, a joint program implemented by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), formerly known as the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA), Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), and United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP). NEXUS speeds border crossings, and both American and Canadian residents may apply for the necessary documentation. There are three lanes of traffic to the United States and two lanes to Canada. Toll booths and customs offices are on the plaza on the United States side.

A single set of tracks crosses over the bridge. A VIA Rail station, formerly Grand Trunk Railway, is located on the Canadian side of the bridge.

Just to the south is the 1883 (replaced 1925) Michigan Central Railway Bridge, also carrying rail traffic. The Whirlpool Rapids Bridge replaced the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge (1848, replaced 1855 and 1886).

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