Construction Milestones

On July 1, 2021, the Gordie Howe International Bridge team marked 1000 days since the start of construction and celebrated the determination, commitment and hard work of staff, contractors, labourers and suppliers who contributed to the progress achieved on all four components of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project.

Progress over the first 1000 days notably included near completion of all design work; earthworks, utility work, the start of building construction and the completion of the Perimeter Access Road at the Canadian Port of Entry (POE); earthworks and utility work at the US POE; demolition and start of reconstruction of three road bridges as part of the Michigan Interchange; and completion of the tower foundations and the start of construction of the bridge towers.

Since the official start of construction on October 5, 2018, more than 145 local businesses in Windsor-Essex and Detroit were engaged by Bridging North America (BNA) and more than 3,900 workers, 46 percent of which are local, were oriented to the project. 

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a once-in-a-generation undertaking. With a focus on honouring the region’s rich history and culture, championing a greener future and providing improvements to the Windsor-Detroit corridor, the bridge opens new doors to trade, travel and tourism- forever changing the landscape of the area.

This Gordie Howe International Bridge wouldn’t have been possible without the workers who donned their hard hats every day and build every feature of the four project components including the bridge deck over the Detroit River, the buildings and structures at the Canadian and US Ports of Entry and the road work for the Michigan Interchange.

To mark “2000 Days of Construction”, community members of all ages were invited to participate in a hard hat sticker design contest. Participants were asked to design a hard hat sticker in support of the dedicated people working tirelessly to deliver the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Just as a passport stamp is proof of places visited, hard hat stickers represent projects and construction sites worked at.