Both sides of the Gordie Howe International Bridge are expected to be fully connected by the end of June.
Bridging North America, the group responsible for construction of the crossing between Windsor and Detroit, has announced that temporary bracing pieces have been installed to hold the two sides of the bridge deck in alignment.
The permanent steel girders that will help connect the Canadian and U.S. sides of the structure will be installed this week, followed by additional bracings before the final slab is put in place, which is expected by the end of June.
David Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of Bridging North America, says all of the cables to support the bridge are now in place as well.
"With the final connection, there will be some restressing; there will be some adjustments to be made; even through the installation of the railings and the overlay, there will be additional loads that will be placed on the bridge that will require some restressing," he says.
Henderson says there are checkpoints at the two ports of entry.
"Our team that's working on the bridge in the international zone has to go through the checkpoints with their same documents, just like you and I would present at the border crossings that are in place now," he says.
While the connecting of the two sides is a major milestone, there is still another year's worth of work on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which includes the addition of railings, the multi-use path, electrical work, drainage, the addition of sensors, and lighting.
The Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority, which is managing the project for the Government of Canada, announced in January 2024 that construction of the new crossing will not be completed until September 2025.
Vehicles are not expected to start crossing the bridge until later that fall.
The delay from the previous completion date of November 2024 has also resulted in an increase in the cost of the project, rising to $6.4 billion from $5.7 billion, a $700 million increase.
Work on the crossing began in 2018.