The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a major infrastructure project currently under construction that will connect Detroit, Michigan, USA, with Windsor, Ontario, Canada, across the Detroit River. It is designed as a cable- stayed bridge with six lanes for vehicle traffic plus a dedicated pedestrian and bicycle path. The bridge will link Interstate 75 in Michigan directly to Highway 401 in Ontario, providing a continuous highway-to-highway connection and improving traffic flow compared to the existing Ambassador Bridge, which connects to city streets on the Canadian side
. Key features of the Gordie Howe International Bridge include:
- Total length of approximately 2.5 km (1.6 miles) with the longest main span of any cable-stayed bridge in North America at 853 meters (2,799 feet)
- Two A-shaped towers standing 220 meters (722 feet) tall on opposite banks of the river
- Clearance of 46 meters (151 feet) above the water to allow for ship passage
- Ports of entry on both sides: a 68-hectare (170-acre) site in the U.S. with border inspection facilities connecting directly to I-75, and a 53-hectare (130-acre) Canadian port with inspection, toll, and maintenance facilities connecting to Highway 401
- State-of-the-art border processing technology with separate lanes for commercial and passenger vehicles, dedicated truck lanes, and advanced imaging
- Expected to open in fall 2025, facilitating increased traffic capacity from about 18,500 vehicles per day in 2016 to an estimated 26,500 by 2025
The bridge is named after Gordie Howe, a legendary Canadian ice hockey player who spent 25 years with the Detroit Red Wings, symbolizing the strong historical and cultural ties between the two cities
. The project is managed by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA), a Canadian Crown corporation, and is financed through a public-private partnership involving design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance over a 30- to 36-year period. The estimated construction cost is around CA$5.7 billion, with funding recouped through future toll revenues
. Overall, the Gordie Howe International Bridge represents a landmark infrastructure investment aimed at enhancing trade, travel, and economic integration between Canada and the United States in the Windsor-Detroit corridor
