Description of Historic Place

The Brant Bowstring Bridge spans the Fairchild Creek on Colborne Street East between Brant Avenue in Brantford and Gilkison Street in the County of Brant. The property consists of a single-span concrete bowstring arch bridge that was constructed in 1931.

The property was designated by the County of Brant in 2006 for its historic and architectural significance under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 198-06).

Heritage Value

The Brant Bowstring Bridge is the only bowstring arch bridge in the County of Brant. Spanning the Fairchild Creek on Colborne Street East at the boundary between the City of Brantford and the County of Brant it serves as a gateway marker. Built in 1931 of reinforced concrete, it was part of the Ontario Governments upgrading of transportation networks after World War I to accommodate the increasing number of automobiles in the area. The bridge's bowstring design was popular in the 1920s and 1930s as it required minimal material, was simple to install and could easily accommodate vehicular traffic.

The Brant Bowstring Bridge has a width of 11.7 metres with arches of 31 metres and a road width of 7.2 metres. It is considered by some to be the sister bridge to the Main Street Bridge in Cambridge, which was also constructed in 1931 using the bowstring design.

Sources: County of Brant By-law 198-06.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value include its:
- reinforced concrete bowstring arch construction
- original dimensions of 11.7 metre width and 7.2 metre road width and including the 31 metre arches
- decorative concrete rails and balustrades
- concrete deck beams.
- location on the Boundary between the City of Brantford and the County of Brant, serving as a gateway marker
- location on the Grand River.