The Welland Canal, St. Catherines. OntarioThere are two bridges here: The Garden City Sky Way and a lift bridge, which is down so traffic can pass over it. The two bridges are needed as the lift bridge carries local traffic and the skyway, a major highway - the Queen Elizabeth Way - between Toronto and the United States border.
The Welland Canal (part of the St. Lawrence Seaway) allows HUGE ships to travel from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, bypassing Niagara Falls.
Raising the lift bridge, as seen from the west side
The lift bridge is raised to allow a combination barge/tugboat to pass through from west to east. (I was standing on the west side.)
Although the Welland Canal can handle 30 freighters a day, only two passed through the day I was there, just two weeks into the Great Lakes shipping season. What luck for me and my camera that the first one came through as we were shooting the bridges!
Barge/tugboat passing through, as seen from the east side
I am linking to My World.
42 comments:
In many areas, barge traffic and other shipping is non-existent, and people don't realize how much cargo is moved that way.
perfect timing!!
Wow, I'm glad you were there to. Amazing pictures.
Lucky indeed!!! What an awesome shot that first one is. Just where were you to get such an excellent shot. We have a similar area where the freeway bridge goes over the Snohomish river while two bridges that open for boating traffic carry local traffic over the same river below the higher bridge. I cannot get any type of shot. Grrrrr!!! MB
That was a lucky break! The perspectives are also nice, particularly the one with the spring pink blossoms to the right of the oncoming vessel.
A fine series of this unusual bridge scene with one lift bridge low and the other so high overhead. An excellent action series.
This is great getting to see the bridges in action! Beautiful view, too :-D
Great sighting. Recently Hubby and I spent half an hour waiting for a train in the Tehachapi loop. When done with the Utah trip I'll post those.
Those are some impressive bridges over the water!
Great shots of the bridge opening!
Wonderful blues and I like your perspective.
nellie
My uncle lived by those first locks on the canal and as kids we would spend hours watching the ships go through. Thanks for bringing back the memories.
This is fascinating.Those are huge bridges.
How clever: a double bridge, so you don't have to wait.
Lots of water about where you are.
1jo.co
Love those huge bridges!! Terrific captures as always! Have a great week!
Sylvia
You do manage to get great canal shots!
I just would love to be there to see the opening of the bridge! Nice photos!
Haven't seen those for a number of years!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.
I love lift bridges, and these are nice captures. The one time I was in Chicago, I was lucky enough to see the downtown bridges lifted for some sailing ships.
It's been a long time since I've seen a lift bridge at work in Western Canada. Super shots of the Welland Canal, from both sides, too. Nice work!
-- K
Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel
I thought we'd never see the bridge lifted ;)
Hoped your Easter was wonderful.
Great captures of the lifted bridges. I can imagine the traffic all backed up while they for the birdges to go back down.
Oh, great timing! :D
I always enjoy watching the ships traveling through the areas that require the lifted bridges... unless I'm trying to get someplace and end up stuck in the traffic. ;)
Interesting to see the bridge lifting you were there just at the right time.
How impressive to see a boat going underneath these bridges. Thanks for sharing.
I do believe you are charmed, Ms EG! I'd forgotten about this draw bridge over the Welland Canal...
great pictures of the bridges. draw bridges are so cool.
Oh How wonderful to see those amazing bridges again!!! I grew up along the Welland Canal, more toward the Port Colborne end ( Dain City), and enjoyed for years as the world of ships passed us by...the hours fishing along her shores and enjoying the clear waters in summer.The smelt thick as a blanket swimming by in the spring and ice skating on her in the winter. The area of the system I grew up along is now been cut off by land and her waters are dark and muddy since they constructed the new by-pass. So many bridges torn down or changes to single level styles. Thanks for the memories!!!!!!
I was there so many years ago with my parents. You have taken some very interesting pictures EG.
Have a great week.
B.
Some serious brain power goes into those bridges. Really astounding.
Perfect timing for your photo-shoot! We don't have bridges that fold like that but we have cargo boats that cruise along the waters of the Mighty Mekong River and its tributaries.
Inside Cambodia
That's our kind of place! (I've done some posts on lift bridges here in Florida -- and we live on a Canal (but not that big of a one -- our bridges are on the River). Great pictures.
At first glance, I thought them as two-story bridge. You’re so lucky to capture the bridge lifting. Thank you for sharing!
That would be cool to see the lift bridge in action. We don't have any of those anywhere close to where I live.
We have a lot of those lift bridges here. It is nice when you are ailing but not so nice when you are waiting in your car to have it closed again. hihi.
I've been on the QEW several times over the last 50 years.. I don't think there as many fruit stands at least not like 50 years ago LOL
I love this series! You do live in such an interesting area with many wonderful photographic opportunities.
Great bridge shots. And the photo of the tug/barge is super!
You captured the bridge in action. Great captures.
We have much smaller swing bridges in port, but this lift bridge is spectacular!
What impressive bridges. I have never seen anything like this duo. That upper one really does look like it is very high. Love the shot with the lower one open wide and the one with the boat. I learn something new every day. It is such fun to be alive. G
Wow, interesting bridge! This is first time for me to see this kind of bridge! you were lucky enogh to capture this exciting scene! It's a great fun to see two boats passing through!
Have a beautiful week!!
Nice series of photos. That's a huge canal, far bigger than what I think of when I hear that word. (For obvious reasons, if it's a passage for the great lakes freighters. )
I'm sure bypassing Niagara falls is a good thing for boats!
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