VIDEO: Gap closed for Gordie Howe Bridge

Canadian and American workers on the Gordie Howe International Bridge recently celebrated the final steps taken to close the deck gap on the US$4.7 billion structure.

The 26m gap was closed this month on the bridge that will connect Detroit in the US state of Michigan and Windsor in the Canadian province of Ontario.

The 853m main bridge deck between the two towers makes it the longest main span of any cable-stayed bridge in North America and the tenth longest in the world. Clearance above the river is 42m. It will also be the longest composite steel and concrete bridge deck for any cable-stayed bridge in the world, according to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA), a not-for-profit Canadian Crown corporation created to deliver the project through a public-private partnership.

WDBA is responsible for overseeing and managing the construction and operation of the new crossing. Meanwhile, Bridging North America, BNA, is the main joint venture contractor - Fluor, ACS Infrastructure Canada and Aecon Group - for the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of the project.

Workers will now stress stay cables and install electrical, fire suppression and drainage systems, barriers, signage, lighting, deck paving and pavement markings and complete the multi-use path.

Early work for the bridge started in summer 2018 and it was originally set to open in November 2024. But disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic pushed back the date and increased costs from the original $4.3 billion.

Bridging North America said that the four-week, multi-step, precision process to close the gap included the placement and removal of temporary bents and the installation of the final steel girders, beams, panels and precast concrete.

“The team has worked incredibly hard since 2018 to achieve this important project milestone,” said Shawn West, president of Fluor’s infrastructure business. “The connection of this iconic bridge serves as a testament to our dedication and perseverance to build safe and reliable infrastructure. This bridge will soon serve as a major gateway between Canada and the United States.”

While the main focus of construction has been on the bridge deck, progress is also being made on the Ports of Entry in Canada and the US, as well as the connection to I-75. When completed in autumn next year, the bridge will include six lanes of traffic, two ports of entry, a multi-use path, a new interchange at I-75 with four new road bridges, five pedestrian bridges and four interchange ramps connecting I-75 to the U.S. Port of Entry. Fluor and ACS will operate and maintain the facility for 30 years for the WDBA.

The Canadian government will receive all toll revenues, the project being totally Canadian with no US funding.