An online update meeting has been scheduled by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority and the project contractor Bridging North America to provide residents with the latest on the construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project.
The meeting will be held on the Gordie Howe Bridge Facebook page on Thursday, Oct. 7, beginning at 3 p.m.
Speaking on AM800's Morning Drive, Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority communications director Mark Butler says during the pandemic they were able to pivot away from in-person meetings which they usually hold every quarter.
"We realized it was still important for people in the area to learn what's happening on the project about the progress, the design details and community benefits," he continued. "So we pivoted to the virtual meetings on our Facebook live page and they've been quite successful."
Butler says one of the biggest update is that the towers on the bridge are now very visible.
"For a long time we were digging down before we could dig up. We had to make sure we had that very sound foundation so we had dig to bedrock. We have been building up the tower legs because it's a bit like a wish bone if you will as there are two legs that go to a spire. Those legs are now about 70 meters above the ground so that's about 225 feet," he said.
Butler says the meeting itself will go into greater detail about the construction progress.
This is a public meeting for both the Canadian and US side so we'll include information about the I-75 infrastructure changes that we're making to accommodate the bridge as well. And then following that we'll be able to take questions. If time runs out we are committed to making sure that any questions that don't get answered during the meeting will be answered," Butler said.
Butler says despite the pandemic, they're still on track to have the Gordie Howe International Bridge be in service by the end of 2024.
Thursday's meeting will include a 25-minute presentation followed by a question and answer period.
Questions can be submitted in advance online to the Bridge Authority by email to info@wdbridge.com.