Sir Ambrose Shea Lift Bridge – Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

The new Sir Ambrose Shea Vertical Lift Bridge is located in the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador on the east coast of Canada, and was built as a replacement to an existing structure constructed in 1961 that had reached the end of its useful life. It is a three-span structure, with a movable centre span (vertical lift span) flanked by two simple fixed composite plate girder spans. The towers for this lift bridge consist of a three dimensional steel truss, shaped representative of sails. Each tower component is connected by a three dimensional exoskeleton truss which houses the machinery to operate the lift span. The new bridge was designed to be durable, efficient, and reliable as well as being an aesthetically pleasing structure with architecture to reflect the local culture and tourism potential of the region. The new bridge was constructed adjacent to the existing bridge in order to minimize disruption to the local fishing boats and road traffic.