The Gordie Howe International Bridge over the Detroit River, measuring a total length of 2.5 km, will feature 6 lanes and is expected to open in 2025.
The Gordie Howe Bridge nearing structural completion. (Photo: WDBA).
After nearly 4 years of construction, the longest suspension bridge in North America is nearing completion. Providing an additional route connecting the United States and Canada, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will feature a main span of 853 meters upon completion, as reported by New Atlas on June 13.
Designed by architect Erik Behrens of AECOM, in collaboration with the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, Dragados, Fluor, and Aeco, the Gordie Howe International Bridge is the 10th longest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge will also have the longest reinforced concrete deck among suspension bridges when completed. Named after Canadian hockey star Gordie Howe, who played for the Detroit Red Wings, the bridge’s towers are designed to evoke the curve of a hockey stick.
So far, 27 sections of the bridge deck, averaging 15 meters in length and 37.5 meters in width, have been installed at a height of 46 meters above the Detroit River, leaving only a small gap connecting Windsor, Ontario, with Detroit, Michigan. The final sections of the deck are being gradually added and will be carefully installed in the coming weeks.
According to AECOM, the two towers stand at a height of 220 meters, with 216 cables (108 cables on each side) fanning out in a radial pattern to support the bridge deck across the river. The secondary spans on each side of the river are supported by 27 pairs of cables and 3 pairs of pylons, which help transfer the load directly to the ground.
Although the 6-lane bridge is structurally nearing completion, engineers still have several tasks to complete. First, the suspension cables need to be precisely tensioned, followed by the installation of the roadway, barriers, multi-use pathways for cyclists and pedestrians, along with electrical systems. The bridge is projected to open in 2025.
