A vertical-lift bridge or just lift bridge is a type of movable bridge in which a span rises vertically while remaining parallel with the deck.
7-523: The Sir Ambrose Shea Lift Bridge is a lift bridge located in Placentia , Newfoundland and Labrador , Canada . It is named after Ambrose Shea , a political and business figure in colonial Newfoundland who later served as Governor of the Bahamas . The first Sir Ambrose Shea lift bridge opened in 1961, allowing people and vehicles to be transported across 'the gut' (the narrow opening to the harbour). It
14-400: Is connected by a three-dimensional exoskeleton truss housing the machinery operating the lift span. Lift bridge The vertical lift offers several benefits over other movable bridges such as the bascule and swing-span bridges . Generally speaking, they cost less to build for longer moveable spans. The counterweights in a vertical lift are only required to be equal to the weight of
21-514: The M.V. Ambrose Shea. The solution of a lift bridge came into fruition in 1961 to much excitement. It attracted people including premier Joey Smallwood , magistrate William Linegar , and G.A. Frecker who was the Minister of Education. Joey Smallwood was the first person to drive across the new bridge. In 2012, a new lift bridge was required as the currently standing bridge was in poor condition. Construction started in 2013 and continued until
28-443: The bridge's opening in 2016, with a project cost of $ 46,000,000. Premier Dwight Ball was the first person to drive across this new bridge in a 1957 Ford Fairlane , hearkening to past years. It is composed of three spans , with a centre movable span (vertical lift span) flanked by two simple fixed composite plate girder spans. The towers consist of a three-dimensional steel truss shaped representative of sails. Each tower component
35-426: The deck, whereas bascule bridge counterweights must weigh several times as much as the span being lifted. As a result, heavier materials can be used in the deck, and so this type of bridge is especially suited for heavy railroad use. The biggest disadvantage to the vertical-lift bridge (in comparison with many other designs) is the height restriction for vessels passing under it, due to the deck remaining suspended above
42-575: The tidal waterway, but the biggest change came when the Americans came and created the Argentia Naval Base in 1941, occupying the nearby town of Argentia . They brought the supplies and materials to create a pontoon bridge by September of 1941, but the heavy currents washed the bridge away by December of that year. In 1954, the first ferry to move cars and other vehicles across the Gut was
49-451: Was the only lift bridge in the province. The bridge easily lifts up and lowers down to allow both pedestrians to cross over and boats to pass through the body of water. It has always been a challenge to cross the large body of water separating Placentia and Jerseyside . The tide changes every eight and a half hours while the spring tide rise is 2.1m and neap tide rise is 1.5m. There were a number of smaller ferry services offering passage over
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