Key Issues

Selecting a New Bridge Design

The issue of what the new bridge should look like has been debated for years with many people having strong held views. To resolve this issue a Peace Bridge Design Selection Jury was established by the Town of Fort Erie and the City of Buffalo in 2005 to recommend a preferred bridge concept for inclusion in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The jury consisted of 32 members from the U.S. and Canada who were appointed by their respective mayors and from involved agencies.

The jury recommended a Christian Menn designed Two Tower Cable Stay Companion Bridge design, which had two needle shaped towers both having a height of approximately 173 meters (567 feet).

The Partnering Group - City of Buffalo, Town of Fort Erie, and Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority – formally endorsed the recommendation and included it in the DEIS for agency review and comment.

Agencies including New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, US Fish and Wildlife Services, US Environmental Protection Agency, Environment Canada, Audubon Society, as well as members of the public expressed concerns about unacceptable impacts on migratory birds and the protected common tern. In keeping with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) this necessitated a review and a rethink of the bridge design before completion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).

The firm of Figg Engineering and Christian Menn collaborated with avian experts and environmental agency personnel to develop new bridge concepts, which better avoided, minimized, and mitigated adverse environmental impacts while still meeting the project’s purpose and need.

Five concepts were developed and will be presented for public input with the preferred alternative to be included in the FEIS.

The five designs are:

1) Two tower cable stay with towers 345’ tall with diamond shaped towers

2) Two tower cable stay with towers 345’ tall with needle shaped towers

3) Three tower cable stay with towers 300’ tall with diamond shaped towers

4) Three tower cable stay with towers 300’ tall with need shaped towers

5) Three span arch with arches of graduated heights the tallest 226’ high

Click here for pictures of the designs.