Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Celebrates Gigantic Milestone

Thursday turned out to be more than an average day for Donald Parish of Brimley, Michigan and Stephane Richard of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. While it's unclear if they met in the middle of The International Bridge in Sault Ste Marie, they were both honored as the 100 millionth person to cross the span.

The feat happened just after 9 a.m. Thursday. Parish, a 28-year U.S. Navy Vietnam War veteran and a Purple Heart recipient, crossed from north, and Richard from the south.

While there were not balloons or fireworks to mark the occasion, each man did pick up a pile of goodies, including a framed photo of the bridge, a DVD of the anniversary document "Crossing Conversations," and commuter account deposits of $40 each. They also each got a tour of four of the bridge arches.

The bridge, which opened in 1962 and is the only one for cars and trucks between Ontario and Michigan within a 300-miles radius , connects sister cities, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. It celebrated its 10 millionth crosser in 1975.

"Clearing the 100 million mark is a truly outstanding achievement for the (bridge) and a testament to how important this crossing is," said Thomas Buckingham Sr., chair of the Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Authority, the bi-national body that supervises operations of the bridge.

The International Bridge is the largest international trade crossing in northwestern Ontario. With its proximity to the Trans-Canada Highway, it is a convenient route for goods going by truck from northeastern and eastern Ontario, as well as northern Quebec and the Montreal area, to the upper Great Lakes. The crossing connects directly to Interstate 75 and to Michigan Route 28, which runs south of Lake Superior into Wisconsin and Minnesota. Between 1.4 million and 1.5 million travelers are expected to cross the bridge this year.

The operation and maintenance of the International Bridge is funded primarily by bridge tolls. It is not subsidized by any state, provincial or federal government entity.

Image courtesy of the Michigan Department of Transportation: Donald Parish of Brimley, Michigan, being recognized as the 100 millionth person to cross the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie