An exciting opportunity between the University of Windsor and the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA).
The two organizations celebrated their partnership on Thursday afternoon by unveiling a scale model of the Gordie Howe International Bridge which will be permanently placed within the Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation.
In honour of the partnership, a 1:750-scale model of the bridge has been installed within the Faculty of Engineering. The model - created by Peter McCann Architectural Models Inc. - is 20 feet long and eight feet wide and includes detailed models of the bridge, the two ports of entry, and the Michigan Interchange.
A smaller 1:500-scale model of the bridge has also been permanently installed in the Dean's boardroom on the third floor.
For nearly a decade, University of Windsor students have had co-op opportunities with WDBA across a range of programs, such as civil engineering, communications, and environmental science.
Since 2016, over 220 students have had placements with WDBA, and more than 50 alumni are now employed in key roles for this build.
Grant Hilbers, Chief Capital Officer at WDBA, says it's an honour to have these models at the university.
"We've put in 220 students who've come through this organization as we've constructed a once in a generation project. So it seems really fitting that it's here so everybody will see the legacy of the project that's changed the skyline of Windsor and Detroit. But, all of the engineering students will be able to interact with this model and see how it started years and years ago."
Bill Van Heyst, Dean for the Faculty of Engineering at UWindsor, says these models show the importance of this partnership.
"They've hired so many of our co-op students, they've been participating in talks with our students, serving on panels, inspiring our students to think big. When you look at these models, they're not small little Lego models that we're talking about, this is a big project and I think it's really important for students to understand here in Windsor - you can still think big but live locally."
Van Heyst says students at the university did a wide-range of work.
"Structural analysis on different parts, from the engineering perspective it would be transportation, the logistics of how you move things back and forth across the border, staging areas. If you look at the model, it is not just the bridge, but there are basically pavilions on either side on the bridge that support the logistics of freight moving back and forth, so our students had a lot to do with that."
To add a personal touch, UWindsor engineering students have 3D-printed custom figurines to include in the display. Creating models such as the two now being displayed at the university are common practice when dealing with this large of an infrastructure project.
The Gordie Howe is still expected to open in the fall of 2025.
As of mid-July, construction of the $6.4-billion bridge is 98 per cent complete.