WINDSOR – The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WBDA) provided an update Thursday morning on the construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
The news conference was held at the University of Windsor, where officials released new renderings and projected timelines for completion of the bridge.
Officials announced Bridging North America as the preferred proponent of the project, with construction set to begin this month in Detroit with major construction set for this fall.
The cable-stayed bridge is being touted as the longest in North America. Officials said the heights of the bridge towers will rival the Renaissance Center.
“This is history in the making,” said Dwight Duncan, chair of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority’s board of directors. “I’m proud to be part of it.”
Officials said the bridge will have a 125-year lifespan and includes the implementation of bike lanes on the Detroit side.
Work is already underway at the Canadian Port of Entires in both the U.S. and Canada.
Other notes:
- The Gordie Howe International Bridge project will be delivered through a public-private partnership according to a set contract value and timeline.
- The project includes the Canadian Port of Entry, the bridge, US Port of Entry and I-75 interchange.
Local 4's Rod Meloni will have more on this story later on Local 4 News.
The multi-billion dollar Gordie Howe International Bridge project is expected to create thousands of jobs and connect 1-75 in Detroit and Highway 401 in Windsor, Ontario. It was back in 2012 when Michigan Gov. Snyder struck a deal with then Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in which Canada would pay for Michigan's portion of the bridge. Canada would then recoup the costs from bridge tolls.
The bridge's naming after Detroit Red Wings icon Gordie Howe was announce during a news conference in 2015.
What's a cable-stayed bridge?
From History of Bridges: Cable-stayed bridge is a bridge similar to suspended bridge in that it has towers and a deck that is held by cables, but its cables hold the deck by connecting it directly to the towers instead via suspender cables. It usually carries pedestrians, bicycles, automobiles, trucks, and light rail.
Watch the entire news conference below:
Gordie Howe International Bridge AnnouncementPosted by Gordie Howe International Bridge on Thursday, July 5, 2018
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder released this statement Thursday morning:
“The Gordie Howe International Bridge project at the Detroit-Windsor crossing will be a towering symbol of the peace and prosperity shared by Michigan and Canada, our most vital trading partner. Today’s naming of the team that will build the six-lane span easily ranks among this historic project’s biggest milestones,” said Gov. Rick Snyder. “The announcement means that the complicated and competitive procurement process spearheaded by Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority has worked. Significant advanced construction on the bridge can now begin this summer, marking another critical milestone for this vital trade corridor.
“The Gordie Howe International Bridge, financed by Canada, will create thousands of jobs in Michigan. It greatly enhances our supply chain and will create economic opportunities and growth in ways many people have not yet fully realized. The Canadians and Americans who have been working side by side on this project are proving once again that, together, we can achieve great things for everyone.”