The Gordie Howe International Bridge is moving closer toward completion. But in the wake of the Baltimore Bridge Collapse on March 26, questions have been raised across the country when it comes to bridge safety.
Heather Grondin, chief relations officer of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, said the new Gordie Howe Bridge will have the following safety features in place.
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- The main span of the bridge is 42 meters/138 feet above land at the tower and 46 meters/150 feet in the middle to accommodate the Detroit River shipping lane. It exceeds the minimum navigation vertical clearance requirements for the area.
- The bridge will have no piers in the water.
- The Bridge will be subject to the provisions of the Canadian International Bridges and Tunnels Act as well as inspection under the U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inspection Standards.
It’s expected sometime soon that the two bridge decks that started on opposites of the Detroit River will be connected in the middle.
In March, photos were posted depicted just how close the decks were to each other in the middle after one started to be build on the Canadian side and the other on the American side.
The milestone moment of the bridge decks connecting has long been expected to happen sometime in May, although no official date has been designated at the moment.
The bridge was originally expected to open later this year, but it was announced in January that pandemic-related delays pushed back the opening until late 2025.
The bridge is a $4.5 billion project named after the legendary hockey player that will provide a passageway for travelers between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.
It will serve as a major shipping and transportation hub for both the United States and Canada.