gordie howe bridge

Record-breaking bridge at U.S.-Ontario border about to cross its biggest milestone yet

The new Gordie Howe International Bridge will soon link Ontario and Michigan over the Detroit River, as the two ends of the enormous, record-breaking bridge close in on their meeting point.

This immense international infrastructure investment is inching toward claiming the record of the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America, and will soon relieve congested border crossings between Detroit and Windsor by closing a missing trucking link between Highway 401 in Ontario and I-75 in Michigan.

Construction has been ongoing since October 2018, staffed by 3,900 workers operating in tandem on opposite sides of the river. The bridge deck has been taking shape since December 2022 and is expected to be completed in the coming months.

The enormous undertaking is now closing in on its long-awaited meeting point, at which point it will officially overtake B.C.'s Port Mann Bridge and its 470-metre span over the Fraser River to become the longest cable-stayed bridge span on the continent.

A new photo shows the latest progress on the bridge. Just under 140 metres of road deck remain to build before the two ends of the bridge meet, and crews expect this milestone to occur by the summer months.

Once this milestone occurs, the bridge span will stand at 66 per cent the length of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, which stretches roughly 1,280 metres across San Francisco Bay.

The project crossed another important milestone in late 2023 when crews completed forming the massive support towers on opposite sides of the river, each reaching heights of 220 metres, comparable to a 40-storey building.

Installation of the bridge's 216 stay cables is also progressing at a rapid pace, supporting the six-lane road deck that will soon create a continuous link between the 401 and I-75.

Lead photo by

@GordieHoweBrg/X


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