Bridging the Blue Waters

People first crossed the St. Clair River using logs, rafts, and canoes. Steam-powered ferries began carrying freight and people in the 1840s, and the river current pushed tethered swing ferries from shore to shore. Later other ferries were used, and in 1891 rail transport improved with the opening of the tunnel under the St. Clair River. In 1938, the Blue Water Bridge made automobile and truck traffic possible across the international border. A second span was built in 1997 to accommodate increasing traffic. The longest span of the Blue Water Bridge is approximately 1.25 miles (2 km) long, and the highest point is 233 feet (70 m) above the water.

Port Huron, Michigan · United States