The Gordie Howe International Bridge… A Significant Past and Exciting Future

SEMCOG members recently experienced an exciting tour of the Gordie Howe Bridge site in collaboration with the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the Canadian Consulate, and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT).

Highlights included:

• Construction progress on the US bridge tower and road/bridge deck
• Construction is underway at the Canadian and US Ports of Entry (POE)
• Work is underway on the connection into the Michigan Interchange

The Gordie Howe International Bridge project is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project. It will bring much-needed improvements to the movement of goods and people across the Windsor-Detroit trade corridor. It is comprised of four main components: the bridge, ports of entry in Canada and the US, and the Michigan Interchange (I-75). This complex project requires a high degree of planning, attention to detail, and innovative design and building techniques.

Bridge Work

The bridge towers continue to climb as single pylons, with the Canadian and US towers both standing over 570 feet tall. The project team has approximately 10 cement pours left on each tower until reaching the final height of 722 feet. Anchor boxes, which secure the cables to the towers, continue to be installed; cable installation is now underway. As of March 2023, the first six cable stays had been installed on the US tower, with four cable stays in place on the Canadian tower. In total, the Gordie Howe International Bridge requires the installation of 216 stay cables, 108 on each tower. Construction of the bridge deck over the Detroit River began in December 2022 and will continue into 2024.

Ports Of Entry

Canadian Port Of Entry

Colin Bird, Consul General of Canada in Detroit, United States

At the Canadian Port of Entry (POE), construction on all 11 structures is well underway. Underground utility installations are ongoing across multiple areas of the 130-acre site. The POE buildings continue to take shape. Some are early in construction with excavation and foundation work underway, while others have progressed further with the installation of roofing, building façade, windows, drywall, and interior rough-ins for mechanical, electrical, and HVAC systems. The toll booths also continue to take form with structural steel installation.

US Port Of Entry

Construction activities are advancing at the US Port of Entry, with all 13 buildings and structures taking shape. Underground utilities, electrical and plumbing work continues at some buildings, while foundation and structural work is underway at others. Routes for construction traffic south of I-75 include M-85 (Fort St), Green St (from Fort to Jefferson Ave), Livernois Ave (from I-75 to CSX railroad), Campbell Street (from Fort Street to Jefferson Avenue), Jefferson Avenue (from Campbell to the west City limits), and any permanently closed roadways.

Michigan Interchange (I-75) Work

The project team has made significant progress on I-75 construction work. Clark Street, Springwells Street, and Livernois Avenue road bridges are open to traffic, with the Green Street road bridge anticipated to open in 2023. The Junction Avenue road bridge has been demolished and is being reconstructed into a pedestrian bridge. Local road improvements have started at Green Street, Livernois Avenue, Campbell Street, Jefferson Avenue, and Fort Street.

A site with significant history

Commemorating Hope and Freedom at the Gordie Howe International Bridge

The land where the Gordie Howe International Bridge project is located holds a rich historical past. For thousands of years, it has served as Anishinaabe Territory, consisting of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi Nations. The Sandwich, Ontario, community is the oldest continuous European settlement area in Ontario, with French settlers arriving in the late 1700s. To many individuals escaping enslavement via the Underground Railroad, Windsor-Detroit was a destination representing hope and freedom for their families.

In recognition of the area’s role as a destination point on the Underground Railroad and the contributions its travelers provided to the region, the Gordie Howe International Bridge project will include commemorative artwork at the Canadian Port of Entry. The enhancements will serve to symbolize hope and freedom and will be located in an area where people can gather to reflect on the journeys made in the quest for freedom.

SEMCOG’s Involvement

Amy O’Leary, Executive Director, SEMCOG

Over the past 25 years, SEMCOG has contributed to a U.S.-Canada cross-border working group. After a quarter-century of efforts, the Gordie Howe International Bridge is becoming a reality. SEMCOG is proud of its key technical and policy role in advancing the project development, including the provision of the initial binational database, the process to select the type of crossing, identification of the best location, and determination of connections to Southeast Michigan’s road network. SEMCOG’s work concluded with technical staff playing a crucial role with the US DOT and MDOT in completing the environmental analysis needed to begin construction.

The site of the Gordie Howe Bridge holds a significant past and an exciting future. As an active project partner, SEMCOG is thankful for the opportunity to provide a tour and showcase this new international economic development opportunity to our members.