Ontario Construction News staff writer
American and Canadian officials gathered at the Gordie Howe International Bridge on Wednesday to celebrate the latest construction milestone with completion of its deck connection.
The bridge is now an official border crossing.
Among those in attendance were Canada’s Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Sean Fraser, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The completion of the deck marks a pivotal step in the bridge’s development, signifying its readiness to serve as a key border crossing between Canada and the United States.
“Canada and the United States have always done big things together,” said Sean Fraser, Canada’s minister of housing and infrastructure. “As the largest and most ambitious infrastructure project along the Canada-United States border, the Gordie Howe International Bridge is proof of just that.”
Fraser also talked about the bridge’s potential to stimulate economic growth and create job opportunities.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge, which spans 853 meters, is now recognized as the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America and the tenth longest in the world. The bridge is slated to open in Fall 2025, promising to enhance cross-border travel and commerce between the two nations.
“While we celebrate the physical deck connection, it gives us the opportunity to look to the very near future when we will see truck drivers making their way to deliver freight, commuters heading to work, and tourists enjoying the views,” said Charl van Niekerk, CEO of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. “Making connections is what the Gordie Howe International Bridge is all about,” he said.