Gordie Howe International Bridge

The Gordie Howe International Bridge (French: Pont International Gordie-Howe), known during development as the Detroit River International Crossing and the New International Trade Crossing, is a cable-stayed international bridge across the Detroit River, currently under construction. The crossing will connect Detroit, Michigan, United States of America, and Windsor, Ontario, Canada, by linking Interstate 75 in Michigan with Highway 401 in Ontario (through the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway extension of Highway 401). The bridge will provide uninterrupted freeway traffic flow, as opposed to the current configuration with the nearby Ambassador Bridge that connects to city streets on the Ontario side. The bridge is named after Canadian ice hockey player Gordie Howe, whose celebrated career included 25 years with the Detroit Red Wings, and who died two years before construction began.
First proposed in the early 2000s, the project was met with prominent opposition by Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel "Matty" Moroun, who believed competition from a publicly owned bridge would reduce his revenue. A Canadian federal Crown corporation, the Windsor–Detroit Bridge Authority, was established in 2012 to coordinate the bridge's construction and management. Environmental approvals and other permits were approved in the United States and Canada in the early 2010s. Lawsuits by Moroun alleged that the crossing agreement was illegal and the Ambassador Bridge had "exclusivity rights". These lawsuits were denied, along with various attempts to stop property expropriations, allowing the project to continue.
The "Bridging North America" consortium was selected in July 2018 to design, build, operate and maintain the bridge, and construction began that month. The CA$3.8 billion cost of construction will be funded by the Canadian federal government, paid for by bridge tolls. Construction is expected to be completed in mid-2025.
The passage across the Detroit River between the United States and Canada has been an important traffic route since the American Civil War, with ferries transporting goods and people across the river. A railway tunnel (Michigan Central Railway Tunnel) was opened in July 1910, a suspension bridge for road traffic (Ambassador Bridge) opened in November 1929, and a road tunnel (Detroit–Windsor tunnel) opened in 1930.
The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest crossing on the Canada–United States border, with nearly 25% of U.S.–Canada border crossings by trucks using the bridge. The bridge has been criticized for its monopoly status (as no trucks are permitted to use the tunnel), private ownership by billionaire Manuel Moroun and poor maintenance record. Both the bridge and the road tunnel lack direct highway connections on the Canadian side, with city streets and traffic lights between them and Ontario Highway 401.
In the early 2000s, work was begun to investigate the need for a future crossing of the Detroit River by a bi-national partnership of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Transport Canada, Ontario Ministry of Transportation and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). During development, the project was known as the Detroit River International Crossing and the New International Trade Crossing.
In 2004, a joint announcement by the federal government of the United States and Government of Canada confirmed a new border crossing would be constructed between Detroit and Windsor. A bi-national committee was formed to manage the project. An extension of Ontario Highway 401 to the future bridge was also proposed – construction on this extension began in 2011, with the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway opening in 2015.
The various environmental approvals for the project were approved in both the United States and Canada in 2009.
In 2009, the Ohio State Senate passed a non-binding resolution expressing support for the crossing, and urged the Michigan government to pass it, due to Canada being Ohio's largest foreign trade partner, with US$35.8 billion per year in goods traded between Ohio and Canada. In 2011, the bridge was tentatively scheduled for completion in 2016, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. It was estimated the bridge would generate $70.4 million in toll revenues in its first year of operation.
In 2010, the Michigan Senate had not approved any authorizing legislation related to the bridge. The Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop had stated that the Senate would not vote until revenue forecasts were released, reports that were being withheld by the director of the Michigan Department of Transportation. The Michigan House of Representatives had already passed the measure while the bill was called "doomed" in the Senate.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder supported construction of the new crossing in his first State of the State address on January 19, 2011. His plan would leverage Canadian money to receive a 160 percent match—totaling $2.2 billion—on funding from the Federal Highway Administration in a deal reached the week previous to the speech. In August 2011, Michigan State Senator Mike Kowall, when asked by the Windsor Star if enabling legislation for the bridge would currently pass, replied "absolutely not".
In October 2011, the Michigan Senate "rejected a bill [that] would have allowed the state to accept $550 million from the Canadian government to fund the country's share" of the bridge. One commentator, Bill Mann, noted the rejection, saying "Canada calls the new bridge its biggest infrastructure priority and has even offered to pay for the span. But pesky U.S. special-interest politics intrude once again," as he reviewed a number of "U.S. government actions (and inactions) that show little concern about Canadian concerns". Mann drew from a Maclean's article sub-titled "We used to be friends" about U.S.–Canada relations after the Keystone Pipeline, the bridge, and other "insulting" decisions.
In June 2012, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder announced an agreement allowing the project to proceed. The Canadian federal government would fund bridge construction, land acquisition in Michigan and the construction of Interstate 75 on-ramps. The Canadian contribution will be repaid from bridge tolls collected on the Canadian side, and no tolls will be charged on the U.S. side. The crossing agreement also included community benefits for residents on both sides of the Detroit River, including improvements to local neighbourhoods affected by bridge construction.
On April 12, 2013, the Obama administration granted Michigan the permit required to build the bridge, allowing construction to go forward once details were finalized. In May 2014, the United States Coast Guard issued a bridge permit, the final federal approval required. A Canadian federal Crown corporation, the Windsor–Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) began work in July 2014 to coordinate the bridge's construction and management.
The Canadian government allocated US$25 million to begin land acquisition on the Detroit side on May 22, 2013. In January 2015, Parsons Corporation was named the general engineering consultant for the bridge. On February 18, 2015, Minister of Transport Lisa Raitt announced Canada would fund the construction of a customs plaza on the U.S. side of the bridge in Detroit's Delray neighborhood. The plaza will have a budget of around US$250 million, and be recouped through tolls. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will provide a first-year investment of US$150 million, and an "ongoing annual requirement" of US$50 million, to cover the plaza's operational and staffing costs.
On May 14, 2015, during an event attended by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, it was officially announced that the bridge would be known as the Gordie Howe International Bridge after Canadian ice hockey player Gordie Howe, whose celebrated career included 25 years with the Detroit Red Wings.
In July 2015, WDBA began work procuring a consortium who would design, build and finance the construction of the bridge, as well as operate and maintain it over a 30 year period. The cost of building the Gordie Howe International Bridge escalated by CA$3.5 billion as the value of the Canadian dollar declined in 2015–2016. In January 2016, it was reported, due to exchange rates and increased inflation, costs could rise to CA$4.8 billion.
In July 2016, it was announced many properties that would be required to build the bridge were still in the hands of private landowners. Some properties on the American side of the river were owned by Manuel Moroun, owner of the Ambassador Bridge. An estimated 30 of the 900 properties needed were considered to be problems if the owners resist selling. In July 2016, the CBC reported Dwight Duncan, the former finance minister for Ontario had advised the Government of Canada to consider buying the Ambassador Bridge from Moroun.
In a joint statement released after a meeting between newly elected U.S. president Donald Trump and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau on February 13, 2017, the two governments reiterated the support of the "expeditious completion" of the project. It was listed as a priority infrastructure project by the Donald Trump administration.
In June 2017, the City of Detroit sold 36 city-owned parcels of land, underground assets and five miles of city-owned streets in the Delray neighborhood, which is the site of the U.S. Customs facility. A US$33 million neighborhood improvement fund for the neighborhood was set up. Residents of the area can stay and have their home renovated or move to a renovated home in a different neighborhood.
In May 2018, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled against Moroun's attempt to stop expropriations on the Michigan side of the river, allowing construction of the U.S. plaza to begin.
On July 5, 2018, WDBA was announced the consortium "Bridging North America" had been awarded the bridge contract, using a design, build, finance, operate and maintain structure. The consortium consisted of AECOM for design; Dragados Canada, Fluor Corporation, and Aecon for construction; and ACS Infrastructure, Fluor, and Aecon for operations and maintenance. Following construction, Bridging North America will receive monthly payments for operating and maintaining the bridge over a 30 year period.
Construction began on July 17, 2018, with groundbreaking by Minister of Infrastructure Amarjeet Sohi and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. On September 28, 2018, the WDBA announced the project would cost CA$3.8 billion to construct, part of a CA$5.7 billion contract with Bridging North America. The bridge was to be completed by the end of 2024.
In 2019, preparatory work for major construction continued, with cleaning of contaminated land. An effort by the Michigan Republican Party to prevent MDOT spending money on the bridge (even if MDOT would later be reimbursed by Canada) was reversed, allowing the project to continue. CA$20 million of community benefits for local residents on both sides of the Detroit River was also announced.
In 2020, the design of new pedestrian bridges over Interstate 75 were unveiled, and work began on the foundations for the bridge towers. Construction was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with changes to working practices, travel restrictions and material shortages. In January 2021, foundation work for the bridge towers had been completed, and construction of the 220 m (722 ft) bridge towers was underway. In March 2021, work began to construct the buildings in the Canadian port of entry.
By March 2022, legs of the bridge on both sides of the Detroit River had been completed, with road deck construction underway. By November 2022, over 150 m (490 ft) of the bridge towers had been completed. The WDBA noted that the bridge could open in 2025 owing to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, however the builder of the bridge noted they were pushing for a 2024 opening date.
By May 2023, cables used to hold up the future bridge deck were starting to be installed. In August 2023, the US bridge tower reached its final height of 220 m (722 ft), with the Canadian bridge tower completed in December 2023. In October 2023, the WDBA explained that major construction would likely be completed by the end of 2024, with elements such as signs and lighting taking another six months to install. WDBA also noted that around 2,300 people were working on the site at the peak of construction.
In January 2024, the WDBA announced that the bridge would open by fall 2025, a delay of 10 months from the planned opening date owing to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also confirmed that the bridge deck would be completed in 2024. The two sides were permanently connected during the early morning hours of June 14, 2024.
The cable-stayed bridge design is by chief bridge architect of AECOM, Erik Behrens. Each of its two A-shaped bridge towers, standing 220 m (722 ft) tall, is built on opposite banks of the Detroit River. The road deck itself is held up using 216 cable stays. It will have the longest main span of any cable-stayed bridge in North America at 853 m (2,800 ft), with a total bridge length of 2.5 km (1.6 mi). At the highest point above the Detroit River, the bridge will be 46 m (151 ft) above the water. The bridge will have six lanes for automotive traffic, and a bicycle and walking path.
On the U.S side, the port of entry will encompass 68 hectares (170 acres) with border inspection facilities, directly connecting to Interstate 75 with dedicated highway ramps. On the Canadian side, the port of entry will encompass 53 hectares (130 acres) with border inspection facilities, toll collection and bridge maintenance facilities. It will directly connect to Ontario Highway 401. The bicycle and walking path will connect to new and existing trails as well as bike lanes on both sides of the Detroit River.
With traffic crossing the border expected to grow from 18,500 vehicles a day in 2016 to 26,500 by 2025, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will provide an orderly flow of people and goods between the two countries. Transport Canada retained the engineering firms, Morrison Hershfield, Davis Langdon, and Delcan to develop cost estimates for right of way and utility relocation; design and construction; and operation and maintenance on the Canadian side of the crossing.
The project will include several pieces of public art. During construction, artworks by local artists were placed on the jump forms within which the bridge towers were built. The art on the Canadian bridge tower was undertaken by artists from Walpole Island First Nation and Caldwell First Nation, with the art on the American bridge tower undertaken by Roberto Villalobos, an artist from Southwest Detroit. Following removal, the murals were subsequently donated to organisations and municipalities on both sides of the river.
A piece by Canadian artist Sara Graham involves cast concrete patterns on the outside of a maintenance building. An 3 m (9.8 ft) high sculpture of tree bark by Anishinaabe artist Michael Belmore recognizes and celebrates First Nations, which will be visible as traffic enters and leaves the Canadian Port of Entry.
Other artworks are being developed, with Canadian artist Jordan Sook commissioned to create an artwork to commemorate the Underground Railroad. Sook was chosen from a selection of Canadian artists from the Black, African and Caribbean diaspora. Canadian artist Douglas Coupland has been commissioned to provide architectural lighting for the bridge.
In Canada, the bridge will connect to an extension of Ontario Highway 401 locally named the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway, on its east side. The parkway is below-grade and has six through-lanes. It follows (but does not replace) Talbot Road and Huron Church Road from a new interchange at the former end of Highway 401 to the E. C. Row Expressway, where it runs concurrently westward for 2 km (1.2 mi). From there, it turns northwest and follows a new alignment to the border. The parkway also features 300 acres (1.2 km) of green space and over 20 kilometres (12 mi) of recreational trails, with seven bridges and two tunnels separating the trails from roads. Full construction of the parkway began in 2011, and was completed in November 2015 at a cost of CA$1.4 billion.
Construction of the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway that links to the bridge on the Canadian side was hampered by concerns it could affect Ontario's last known habitat of Butler's garter snakes. During the construction process, biologists relocated the snakes (including eastern fox snakes, and the garters—of which there were a larger number than originally thought), with their new habitats protected by a specially-designed above and below-ground fencing system along affected portions of the E. C. Row Expressway.
In the United States, the bridge will connect to Interstate 75 with dedicated ramps. 3 km (1.9 mi) of the highway is being rebuilt and widened, local roads will be improved and new pedestrian bridges will be built across the highway. Noise walls will also be built to mitigate impacts to the Southwest Detroit neighbourhood.
The multi-use path on the bridge will be the first legal pedestrian crossing of the Detroit River, connecting to local streets and trails on both of its sides. The bridge will be part of the Trans Canada Trail, linking trail networks on both sides of the river including the Canadian Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, as well as the American Iron Belle Trail and the Great Lakes Way. Crossing the bridge on foot or cycle will be free.
Alongside the construction of the bridge, US$20 million was allocated to various community benefit projects in both the United States and Canada. Projects included support for local community groups, improvements to local parks and trails, and improvements to local streets. Grants were also awarded for home improvements in Delray, and to Walpole Island First Nation.
Contractors were also encouraged to employ residents of Detroit and Windsor, and the wider Metro Detroit and Essex County areas, alongside work to provide apprenticeships and training to workers.
The most vocal opposition to the new crossing came from American billionaire Manuel "Matty" Moroun (1927–2020), owner of the nearby Ambassador Bridge. He sued the governments of Canada and Michigan to stop its construction, and released a proposal to build a second span of the Ambassador Bridge (which he would have owned) instead. Critics suggest that Moroun's opposition was fueled by the prospect of lost profits from duty-free gasoline sales, which are exempt from about 60 cents per gallon in taxes even though the pump price to consumers is only a few cents lower.
In early June 2011, the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity posted bogus eviction notices on homes in Detroit's Delray district. With the words "Eviction Notice" in large type, the notices told homeowners their properties could be taken by the Michigan Department of Transportation to make way for the proposed new bridge. The group's state director said the fake notices were intended to get residents to contact state lawmakers, to ask them to vote against the bridge project. Americans for Prosperity charged that the project would be a waste of taxpayer money if toll revenues did not cover debt service.
In July 2011, the Canadian Transit Company, the Canadian side of Moroun ownership of the Ambassador Bridge, began running advertisements against the DRIC proposal, calling it a "$2.2 billion road to nowhere". The phone number listed for Canadian Transit Company forwarded to a phone number in Michigan, and the Canadian Transit Company previously held its 2011 annual meeting at the offices of the Detroit International Bridge Company. MPP Dwight Duncan advised that he was investigating whether or not the ads violated Ontario's election laws, which disallow public spending by foreign lobbyists.
In 2012, Moroun spent more than US$30 million promoting a proposed amendment to the Michigan Constitution that, had it passed, would have required approval of both the voters of Detroit and the voters of Michigan in statewide elections to build the bridge. NPR affiliate network Michigan Public aired a story on November 2, four days before the vote, which indicated the amendment's "seemingly neutral language masks a very specific—and bitter—political battle". The ballot proposal was defeated by a 60 percent to 40 percent margin, paving the way for the project to proceed.
In the 2010s, Moroun undertook several lawsuits alleging that the 2013 crossing agreement was illegal (and should not have been approved by the U.S. State Department), as well as alleging that they had exclusive rights to a span connecting Detroit to Windsor. In 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to hear a challenge by Moroun regarding the choice of location for the bridge. In June 2016, the last of these lawsuits by Moroun was dismissed, allowing the project to continue.
In 2018, the company aired television ads on Fox & Friends asking President Donald Trump to cancel the project. Instead, in December 2019, Trump signed the first U.S. funding, allocating up to $15 million, for customs and border protection for the bridge into law. In May 2018, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled against Moroun's attempt to stop expropriations on the Michigan side of the river, allowing construction of the bridge to begin. Further efforts by Moroun to prevent construction were denied in June 2020.
In July 2020, Matty Moroun died aged 93, with his family maintaining their ownership of the Ambassador Bridge. In 2022, the Detroit Free Press reported that Moroun's family were preparing a case for damages, following the acquisition of properties by eminent domain for bridge construction.
Snyder stated that he had "not [been] crazy" about naming the bridge the Detroit River International Crossing, noting that "DRIC" was intended only to be the name of the commission sponsoring the bridge, and not the bridge itself. Concerns were also acknowledged that the abbreviated name was too close to that of the Detroit International Bridge Company (DIBC)—that would be too sensitive given its objections to the project. Sometime afterward, the working name for the project became the New International Trade Crossing (NITC), garnering the endorsement of 139 organizations and individuals. It was under the NITC name that the project was approved by the U.S. State Department on April 12, 2013.
In late 2010, David Bradley, president of the Ontario Trucking Association, proposed naming the bridge in honor of Canadian professional ice hockey player Gordie Howe, who played the bulk of his career for the Detroit Red Wings. The naming was supported by a number of Canadian politicians, along with Howe's son Marty—who felt the name would have been symbolic of him having come from Canada to spend his NHL career in Detroit.
On May 14, 2015, during an event attended by then-Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, it was officially announced that the bridge would be known as the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Howe, 87 and in ailing health, did not attend the ceremony. Later, when asked by his son what he thought about the naming, Howe remarked "That sounds pretty good to me." Howe died one year later on June 10, 2016.