Lift Bridge over the canal in Fairport

On Main street Fairport, there is a Lift Bridge that crosses over the canal. It goes vertically up to allow boats on the canal to pass and to continue on their journey.

It is the only Bridge of its kind in New York State and is very unusual. It was built in 1914 and is the only lift bridge on the canal that incorporates a slope.

The bridge is an irregular, ten-sided structure and crosses the canal at a 32-degree angle. No two angles in the bridge are the same, and no corners on the bridge are square. The bridge weighs 720 tons and is powered by a 40-horsepower electric motor. Clearance under the Fairport Lift Bridge is 6 feet when lowered and 15 feet when raised.

It raises for any boat larger than a canoe or row/paddle boat due to its minimal 6ft clearance when it is down.

Each end of the Fairport Lift Bridge has a stairway on the east side which allows pedestrians to cross the bridge when in the raised position. Originally, canal traffic was heavy, and road traffic was relatively light, so the bridge was left up and only lowered when road traffic required it. In time, automobile traffic increased and canal traffic decreased, so today the bridge is left down and raised when a boat requires passage.