Infrastructure

Gordie Howe Bridge Hits Major Milestone

The cost of the project is now $6.4 billion, up from $5.7 billion.

Updated on

August 10, 2024

Ongoing construction of Gordie Howe Bridge. PHOTO | COURTESY

Construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting Detroit and Canada, is well underway, with the project now hitting a major milestone.

The bridge deck connection over the Detroit River, linking the United States and Canada, has been completed, according to the builder.

Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority, the US-Canadian entity tasked with building the bridge, says crews installed the final two edge girders connecting the bridge deck a few weeks ago, marking a historic moment for the project.

According to the Authority, the bridge deck will be completed when a final segment of the link, measuring just 11 meters (36 feet) is put in place during a process known as mid-span closure, marking a key milestone in the construction.

Once connected, the bridge deck spanning the distance between the two iconic towers will measure 853 metres, making it the longest main span of any cable-stayed bridge in North America and the tenth longest in the world.

It will be the world’s longest composite steel and concrete bridge deck for any cable-stayed bridge.

“Achieving the bridge deck connection is monumental in the progress on the Gordie Howe International Bridge project,” said Charl van Niekerk, CEO of Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority in a statement.

Gordie Howe International Bridge, named in honour of the Canadian hockey player, was initially scheduled to open in November 2024. However, disruptions caused by Covid-19 necessitated a revision of the timeline to September 2025.

Despite substantial progress made since the fall of 2018, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) and Bridging North America (BNA) stated that extending the project timeline was necessary to ensure its quality.

In 2022 and 2023, the project team advanced bridge and road deck construction, installed stay cables, and developed port of entry facilities.

This year, the public can expect the completion of the bridge deck connection over the Detroit River, the installation of the remaining stay cables, the completion of the POE agency buildings, and the pouring of concrete for the I-75 ramps.

Crucial link

The Gordie Howe Bridge will become a crucial transportation link between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario—providing an important alternative to existing infrastructure, the Windsor Tunnel and the privately owned Ambassador Bridge.

The cable-stayed bridge is going to be an engineering marvel. Designed by Erik Behrens, chief bridge architect of AECOM, this bridge is sure to be a thing of beauty.

The road deck will be held up using 216 cable stays, boasting the longest main span in North America at 853 metres and a total length of 2.5 kilometres.

At the highest point above the Detroit River, Gordie Howe Bridge will stand 46 metres above the water. It will have six lanes for automotive traffic and dedicated lanes for cyclists and pedestrians.

Bridge naming

On May 14, 2015, the Prime Minister of Canada and the Governor of Michigan announced that the bridge would be named the Gordie Howe International Bridge in honour of the man, who led the Detroit Red Wings to four Stanley Cup victories.

Howe died two years before construction began on July 17, 2018.

Key events

In May 2023, the installation of cables to support the bridge deck began. By August 2023, the US bridge tower reached its final height of 220 metres, while the Canadian tower was completed in December 2023.

In October 2023, the WDBA said it expected major works to be done by the end of 2024, with additional work on elements like signage and lighting lasting 6 months.