The architecturally epic Gordie Howe International Bridge project has been recognized for making an impact that echoes well beyond its physical footprint. The project team recently brought home the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike’s Association’s (IBTTA) Social Responsibility Award, acknowledging the project for its social responsibility efforts, including its community benefits plan, active transportation investments and environmental management planning.
“The project team is proud to receive IBTTA’s Social Responsibility Award, an award that recognizes the true essence of the Gordie Howe International Bridge,” said Charl van Niekerk, Chief Executive Officer, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. “This new state-of-the-art crossing will serve more than its purpose of getting goods and people from point A to point B, it’s a catalyst for opportunity and positive change for the region and a great example of what community-driven, sustainable infrastructure can look like.”
This award recognizes organizations for projects, programs and initiatives related to social responsibility, community involvement, environmental mitigation, transportation equity and public education. The project team accepted the award at the 92nd Annual Meeting held October 29, 2024.
As a binational infrastructure project, the Gordie Howe International Bridge project has actively shown its commitment to sustainability and creating positive social, environmental and economic outcomes for the project’s host communities of Southwestern Detroit and Sandwich/West Windsor in numerous ways. The project includes integrated benefits that have been informed and tailored to the region based on years of extensive community outreach and engagement efforts on both sides of the border. These benefits have been embedded in various areas of the project including the incorporation of innovative and sustainable design, initiatives delivered through the Community Benefits Plan, alignment with industry standards and best practices for sustainable infrastructure, robust environmental management planning, as well as the inclusion of a Visual Art Program, and the list goes on!
But the positive regional benefits of the Gordie Howe International Bridge don’t stop there - in addition to the social and environmental initiatives directly embedded into the project’s scope, the project has demonstrated positive economic impact on the Windsor-Detroit region and that is anticipated to grow. A third-party economic analysis has estimated that since the start of construction in 2018 and 2022, the project contributed over $3.17 billion to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Windsor and Detroit. This figure is expected to increase as construction concludes and operations begin.
Watch this video to learn more about the Gordie Howe International Bridge social responsibility efforts.
