Mar 09, 2022

 

Windsor, Ontario • The Gordie Howe International Bridge project team is entering an exciting stage in the construction of the bridge towers in Windsor and Detroit. Now that the tower legs, also known as the lower pylon, have reached their full height of 140 metres/460 feet, Bridging North America will begin work on the final portion of the tower – the pylon head. The towers’ modern and elegant form will take shape as this final 80 metres/262 feet is completed over the remainder of 2022.

The process to transition from the lower pylon to the pylon head, anticipated to be completed in the spring, involves modifications to the jump form systems and concrete pours to construct the upper cross beam that will merge the tower legs into a single structure. Once the transition work is complete, construction begins on the pylon head. Critical to the cable-stayed design, anchor boxes within the pylon head will house the cables that will connect the towers to the bridge and decks. This work will be easily visible to those in west Windsor and Southwest Detroit.

The towers have been under construction since 2019. Each inverted Y-shaped bridge tower is made of cast-in-place reinforced concrete and has been built in sequential manner through ‘lifts’ or tower leg segments of approximately 4.67 metres/15.3 feet tall to achieve their aesthetic design and their desired functionality. 

QUOTES

“It is an exciting time as the towers – arguably the most visible aspect of construction to date – move into the next and final build phase. With the towers currently standing at over two-thirds of their final 220 metres/722 feet height, they represent the significant progress the project team has been able to achieve.”
    • Bryce Phillips, CEO, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority 

“Bridging North America is completing a major engineering feat. The joining of the two tower legs will mean we’ve achieved an important milestone for the project. BNA has been able to reach this point in the project safely and efficiently and is extremely pleased with the work of our team.”
    • Michael Hatchell, CEO, Bridging North America 

QUICK FACTS

  • Together, the bridge towers and cable system are being constructed to support nearly 34 million pounds of weight. 
  • Once completed, the full weight of just one tower will be approximately 30,000 metric tonnes/66 million pounds – the weight of 165 jumbo jets.
  • In the coming weeks and months, the continued tower construction activities will be chronicled on the Gordie Howe International Bridge website and social media channels.

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ABOUT WINDSOR-DETROIT BRIDGE AUTHORITY

Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) is a not-for-profit Canadian Crown corporation created to deliver the Gordie Howe International Bridge project between Windsor, ON and Detroit, MI through a public- private partnership (P3). WDBA is responsible for overseeing and managing the construction and operation of the new crossing. For more information on WDBA  visit www.GordieHoweInternationalBridge.com and follow the project on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GordieHoweBrg.  

ABOUT BRIDGING NORTH AMERICA 

Bridging North America (BNA) became the private-sector partner to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Gordie Howe International Bridge project in September 2018. BNA is comprised of some of the most recognized leaders in the construction and infrastructure industry which includes North American and international companies. BNA partners have significant experience carrying out major infrastructure projects such as the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway in Windsor, Ontario; New Champlain Bridge Corridor in Montreal, Quebec; Autoroute 30 in Montreal, Quebec; Eglinton Crosstown LRT in Toronto, Ontario; Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) in Montreal, Quebec; Automated People Mover at LAX Airport, California; Harbor Bridge, Corpus Christi, Texas; Tappan Zee Bridge in New York and San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, California

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Gordie Howe International Bridge
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