On the Canada-US Gordie Howe International Bridge, installation has begun of the stay cables that will connect the towers to the bridge and road deck.
Work recently started on the first two of 216 stay cables to be installed on the US side of the 2.5km-long bridge with the process for each pair of stay cables taking about two-to-five days. The ends of each metal strand inside the pipe are stressed and anchored to two points – an anchor box inside the tower and an edge girder on the deck. Once a pair of stay cables is securely anchored, workers can move on the next pair in a sequential manner.
The towers and stay cables of the Gordie Howe International Bridge will be capable of supporting nearly 34 million pounds of weight. The tolled six-lane bridge is costing around US$4.2 billion with opening date likely to be 2025.
“With each new stage of construction, the distinctive design of this cable-stayed bridge takes shape,” said Grant Hilbers, vice-president of engineering for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. “As the stay cables are installed, the Gordie Howe International Bridge’s inspiring, modern and elegant features will become more visible for residents of Windsor [in Canada] and Detroit [in the US].”
The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) is a not-for-profit, public-private partanership Canadian Crown corporation created to deliver the Gordie Howe International Bridge project between the Canadian city of Windsor and the US city of Detroit, lying opposite Windsor on the Detroit River. WDBA is responsible for overseeing and managing the construction and operation of the new crossing.
When the bridge is completed, 216 stay cables – 108 pairs – will connect from each tower to the bridge and road deck. Between 38 and 122 metal strands of cable will be fed inside a weather-resistant, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic pipe to make up each stay cable. More than 16,000 metal strands will be used. Once complete, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will be the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America and the tenth
Bridging North America (BNA) became the private-sector partner to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Gordie Howe International Bridge project in September 2018. BNA includes North American and international companies.
BNA partners have significant experience carrying out major infrastructure projects such as the Herb Gray Parkway in Windsor and also the New Champlain Bridge Corridor and Autoroute 30 in Montreal, Quebec. In the US, BNA constructed Harbor Bridge, Corpus Christi, Texas, and the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York state.
