International Bridge board hears inspection updates

Posted on November 8, 2021 by manager

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2021

Fast facts:

  • The International Bridge recently underwent a routine detailed inspection of the entire span.
    Ongoing maintenance is keeping the bridge in good to fair condition.
  • The Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Authority (SSMBA) board of directors named member Nicholas White as its chair and member Natalie Kinloch vice chair for 2022.
  • November 8, 2021 — The Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Authority (SSMBA) board of directors, the bi-national body that supervises operations of the International Bridge, heard reports on a recent bridge inspection at the board’s regular meeting last Thursday.

The SSMBA board reviewed and officially accepted the results of the routine detailed inspection. A team of bridge engineering experts from the lead firm of Hardesty and Hanover (H&H) of Okemos, Mich., along with their Canadian partner firm WSP Canada Group Limited of Mississauga, Ontario, conducted the week-long periodic inspection of the bridge this fall and presented their findings at Thursday’s meeting.

“Even though maintenance activities have slowed a bit this year, the bridge’s ongoing maintenance is outstanding, keeping the structure in good to fair condition,” said H&H structural engineer Continue reading →

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Falcons banded at International Bridge

Posted on July 20, 2021 by Peter Petainen

Fast facts:
–  A pair of peregrine falcons successfully nested on the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, where the birds have been returning for years, raising two chicks.
–  A live video stream is viewable at www.saultbridge.com/falcam. The best time for bird watchers to see the falcons is when they’re nesting in the spring.
–  The peregrine falcon has been removed from the federal endangered species list but is listed as an endangered species in Michigan.

July 20, 2021 — It’s been a productive summer for the resident raptors at the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, with peregrine falcons successfully raising two chicks this year. One egg laid earlier this year did not hatch.

A falcon sits on eggs in the nest box at the Sault Ste. Marie
International Bridge in early May. (IBA photo)

Karl Hansen, bridge engineer for the International Bridge Administration (IBA), reported on the pair of peregrine falcons that nested on the bridge between the U.S. and Canada. Nest boxes for the peregrines have been installed since 2010 on the International Bridge. Last year, the same pair of peregrine falcons hatched one chick. Over the years, the site has been a great success, hatching 32 falcon chicks since IBA staff started counting the birds, Hansen said.

The chicks, a male and a female, were banded by a Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) team on June 10. Color-coded bands attached to the legs of young birds allow scientists to track the movements, reproductive behavior and population growth of the falcons. Continue reading →

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Reminder: Speed limit on International Bridge is 30 mph

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Emily Jacques

March 31, 2021 — The International Bridge Administration (IBA) reminds motorists that the speed limit on the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie is 30 miles per hour (50 kilometers per hour).

While the international border between Canada and the U.S. remains closed, essential travel and commercial traffic continues at the International Bridge. Motorists should also be aware that spring cleanup and maintenance projects will begin soon. Watch for workers on the bridge, slow down, and don’t allow yourself to be distracted while driving in a work zone.

More information can be found on the IBA website at www.Michigan.gov/IBA and at www.saultbridge.com. Follow the IBA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/saultbridge.

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