[1] The Erie Railroad Company built a wooden trestle bridge over the Genesee River just above the Upper Falls in the mid-1800s.

[4] Immediately after the fire, officials of the Erie Railroad Company moved quickly to replace the wooden bridge with one built of iron.

Despite a weight restriction, the 400-ton Nickel Plate 765 steam locomotive passed over the bridge with passenger coaches as part of a heritage excursion in August 2015.

[6] Popular local rumor contends that the Portage Bridge was used for a famous scene in the 1986 movie Stand By Me.

[8] A steel arch design for the new bridge, estimated to cost $71 million, was approved in late 2014.