Gordie Howe Bridge Construction Eyeing September Completion, Opening to Motorists
During a quarterly project update at the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority community office in southwest Detroit on Tuesday, March 11, officials said the Gordie Howe International Bridge construction project is scheduled to finish in September, with the bridge opening to traffic later in the fall. When it is completed, the bridge will span the Detroit River and connect Interstate 75 in southwest Detroit to Highway 401 in northwest Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Heather Grondin, chief relations officer for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, noted that the exact opening date in October or November will depend on the completion of construction. The bridge deck itself took six years to construct and was fully connected by late August 2024. Crew have installed the bridge’s stay cables and are now working to complete the multi-use path; apply protective finishings to the cables; install electrical, drainage, and fire suppression systems; and install signs, lighting, and fencing.
Work has also wrapped up on related projects to improve ramps and service areas linking communities on either side of I-75. Crews are also continuing to install lights, signs, and road markings on the connecting ramps between I-75 and the U.S. port of entry near Windsor.
According to a Detroit News report, the $5.7 billion project will result in a bridge that stands 150 feet above the Detroit River and is 720 feet high. When it opens, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will be the largest Canadian and U.S. land port along the U.S.-Canadian border. At 1.5 miles, it will take its place among the top 10 longest bridges in North America.
Upon opening, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority estimates that 6,000 people will commute to Detroit from Ontario daily using the bridge.
