The Gordie Howe International Bridge team received the National Award for Innovation and Excellence in the Design & Construction category from the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP).
Presented at the P3 National Awards Gala Luncheon in Toronto on November 10, 2026, the award recognizes a public-private partnership (P3) project that has achieved Substantial Completion.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge achieved Substantial Completion on June 9, 2026, a phrase used in the construction industry to indicate the structure is safe, functional and ready to be used for its intended purpose. The bridge opened to vehicular traffic on July 27, 2026.
“The Gordie Howe International Bridge is the result of 20 years of study, planning, and construction; an ambitious vision shared by two great countries; and an unparalleled partnership between Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority and Bridging North America. We are truly grateful for our project partners and stakeholders,” says Chuck Andary, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Legal Officer, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority.
“Reaching Substantial Completion this summer was a remarkable milestone and a career highlight for many of us. It marked the culmination of years of deep collaboration, hard work and a shared goal to bring this infrastructure project from vision to reality,” says David Henderson, Chief Executive Officer, Bridging North America.
Located at the busiest commercial land border crossing between Canada and the US, this new border crossing provides redundancy and choice, capacity, system connectivity and improved border processing within this vital trade corridor.
Highlights of the project include the following:
- The $6.4 billion P3 project comprises four major components: the 2.5-kilometre cable-stayed bridge, the Canadian Port of Entry, the US Port of Entry and the Michigan Interchange.
- More than 15,800 people contributed over 20.1 million work hours to the project.
- The Gordie Howe International Bridge has the longest main span of any cable-stayed bridge in North America as well as the two largest ports of entry along the Canada-US border.
- The bridge has been dual designed to meet federal building guidelines in Canada and the US. This approach ensures that the bridge was constructed to the most stringent of the Canadian and US requirements, achieving the highest standards of structural design and durability.
- Beyond the physical infrastructure, the project includes several integrated benefits in Windsor and Detroit. These include improved connections to transportation networks such as major highways, local streets and active transportation networks; investments into local road improvement; extensive aesthetics and landscaping plans; a visual art program; a multi-use path for cyclists and pedestrians; and a unique bi-national community benefits plan.
This is the third time the Gordie Howe International Bridge team has been recognized with a CCPPP national award. In 2019, the team was recognized with the Project Financing award [HG1] and in 2023, the team won the inaugural National Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Award.
