Another delay for opening has been announced for the new Gordie Howe International Bridge between Detroit in the US and Windsor, Canada.
Although 98% complete, the date is now early 2026, a roll back from the original mid-2024 and then by the end of this year.
Owners of the tolled cable-stayed bridge, WDBA – the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Author – said crews are focused on paving, landscaping and construction of five pedestrian bridges on the US side. Safety testing is also taking place of various systems.
When it opens, the CAN$6.4 billion (US$4.3 billion) Gordie Howe Bridge will be a 2.7km (1.6-mile) six-lane crossing of the Detroit River, bypassing Detroit and Windsor city centres to connect the I-75 in Detroit to Highway 401 in Canada.
It will take some of the traffic off the privately US-owned Ambassador Bridge that connects to centres of the two cities – an issue for causing congestion. The new bridge is designed for much faster processing of international crossing, both pleasure and commercial. It incorporates numerous inspection lanes, advanced truck processing systems and a toll transponder system capable of handling 400 vehicles per hour per station.
After five years of construction, the two tower cranes on either side of bridge came down and crews began working on the bridge deck finishings. Work crews recently completed installation of 5,000 white energy-efficient LED lights along the linear the edge the bridge deck span, at the piers along the back span, at the stay cables and at the towers.
WDBA is a Canadian not-for-profit corporation which reports to the Canadian Parliament, As such, WDBA is wholly owned by the government of Canada and is responsible for delivery of the Gordie Howe International Bridge through a public-private partnership. It is also responsible for project oversight of construction and operation of the crossing. As the operator of the new bridge, WDBA will set and collect all tolls. The bridge is paid for completely by Canada through Canadian taxes.
For videos about construction of the bridge, visit the website of WDBA.
