Design and Technology
Building Elegance Through Aesthetics
WDBA recognizes the permanent influence the Gordie Howe International Bridge has on Windsor’s and Detroit’s skyline and its role as a new gateway symbol for Canada and the United States.
Aesthetics have been considered for all aspects of the project.
- Bridge: a modern expression of the bridge form, derived of modern design and construction techniques “clearly of its time”.
- Landscaping: includes elements of continuity and variation creating a unified experience and expresses themes of the site location.
- Pedestrian space: private and public spaces provide an opportunity for a finer grained landscape with more colour and amenities.
- Buildings: material palette of curtain wall, precast concrete panels, metal and composite create clean lines, pleasing proportions and elegant simplicity that support an open, transparent and welcoming facility.
- Lighting: creates a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing visual effect by night throughout the crossing. Lighting is incorporated on the bridge, roadways, pedestrian walkways, architecture and landscape.
- Canopies: the canopies create the primary architectural gesture for the Ports of Entry.
In recognition of Southwest Detroit’s role as a gateway community to the US and in accordance with requirements set out in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, WDBA invested in street improvements near the US Port of Entry.
Here are just a few highlights of the work undertaken by Bridging North America:
Pedestrian bridges: Five new pedestrian bridges were constructed over I-75 and in some cases, over the service drives. Each bridge aligns with any multi-use trails in the area. Access points include Beard, Waterman, Solvay, Junction and Lansing Streets. The pedestrian bridge identified through the 2008 Environmental Impact Statement at Morrell Street has been moved to Junction Street in response to extensive community consultation.
Decorative barriers: Decorative security fencing provides the north, east and west perimeter of the US POE with irrigated landscaping to provide an additional buffer to the community. An aesthetic perimeter wall was installed along Jefferson Avenue that complements neighbouring facilities. New decorative security fencing installed along the south side of West Jefferson Avenue adjacent to Historic Fort Wayne meets State Historic Preservation Office requirements.
Fort Street Cycle track: A six-foot protected cycle track was installed along both sides of Fort Street between Green and Junction Streets. The cycle tracks are separated from traffic by a minimum three-foot raised buffer.
Trees: Deciduous shade trees were planted along the parkway between the sidewalk and road every 25 feet between Springwells and Clark Streets. A similar treatment is provided from the US POE to Interstate-75 crossings at Green, Campbell and Junction Streets, along Jefferson Avenue and along Fort Street between Green and Junction Streets.
Continuous accessible sidewalks: A continuous fully accessible sidewalk was constructed along the City side of the Service Drive and between the Service Drive and I-75 main line to connect the entrance of each pedestrian bridge to the nearest intersection or to a signalized block crossing. Pedestrian countdown signals were installed at all signalized intersections and mid-block crossings along the service drives.
Greenway: A greenway was constructed to connect pedestrians and cyclists from the Gordie Howe International Bridge to the I-75 Freeway crossings at Green Street and the new pedestrian bridge installed at Junction Street. Street design includes safe transition points from off-road paths to on-street bike lanes with appropriate wayfinding to make the transitions easy for users.
In recognition of Sandwich’s role as a gateway community to Canada and in response to public consultation, WDBA completed $12 million dollars of improvements to Sandwich Street as part of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project. These improvements were delivered in addition to the initiatives undertaken as part of the Community Benefits Plan. Construction began in summer 2023 and was completed in December 2024.
Here are just a few highlights of the work undertaken by Bridging North America along the Sandwich Street corridor:
Location: Approximately 3 km of Sandwich Street from the intersection of Sandwich Street and Ojibway Parkway to the Rosedale Avenue roundabout was reconstructed.
Design: Improvements to the Sandwich Street Corridor design aligned with the Sandwich Town Community Improvement Plan, Sandwich Heritage Conservation District Plan and Sandwich Town Urban Design Guidelines.
Road improvements: The Sandwich Street Corridor was fully re-paved in accordance with municipal standards. All commercial and residential driveway approaches within the municipal right of-way were replaced.
Streetscaping: Attractive streetscaping such as planters, benches, garbage receptacles, etc. were incorporated into the Sandwich Street Corridor improvements.
Accessibility: All sidewalks within the Sandwich Street Corridor were replaced and meet accessibility standards.
Intersection improvements: Bump outs were incorporated at some intersections to enhance pedestrian safety when crossing the roadway. Some intersections within the designated truck route section saw enhancements to accommodate local truck movements.
Functionality for the commercial and passenger users of the bridge and entering the POEs is also a critical aspect of project design.
Significant attention was given to ensure the bridge meets and exceeds the needs of commercial users and that the project includes features that contribute to the efficient and timely movement of drivers through the facility and toward their destinations. WDBA integrated design elements to make it easier for trucks to cross such as: dedicated truck lanes on bridge and in the POEs; driver-friendly road lighting; safety design accommodations such as the ability to deal with truck breakdowns in a timely fashion with minimum impact on traffic flow; and an onsite weather monitoring station allowing for advanced notification of unfavorable conditions.
Tolling includes manual, automatic and electronic lanes. It is anticipated that E-manifest programs and other trusted traveller and trader programs will be in place on both the Canadian and US POEs to help make for an efficient crossing. The bridge and POEs are equipped with “smart” technology including the use of intelligent video to monitor traffic and provide enhanced security features. A system with automated incident detection capabilities plus lane control and traveller information systems helps ensure safe passage.
Here are just a few design and technology highlights:
- Demand-driven dedicated lanes
- Roadway lighting meeting MTO and MDOT standards
- Onsite weather monitoring station
- Travel Time Detection Systems for Border Wait Time
- ITS intelligent video will capture unauthorized movement near trucks
- Video feeds for traffic monitoring
- Trucking companies geofencing / supply chain security programs
- Traffic Surveillance System
- Lane Control and Traveller Information Systems