Ontario Construction News staff writer
On Mar. 27, the Gordie Howe International Bridge construction team celebrated 2,000 days and more than 12 million hours worked since the first shovel hit the ground on Oct. 5, 2018.
Since the start of construction, 11,415 individuals have been trained to work on the project in Canada and the US and more than 690 apprenticeship/pre-apprentices have been assigned to the project.
The Joint Health and Safety Committee has been recognized with industry awards for its extraordinary efforts to continually improve workplace health and safety.
“The great progress across all components of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project is the direct result of the collaboration between our partners, contractors, craft workers and so many others who have come together to make this vision a reality. I applaud the trades for their tireless efforts and determination in building a once-in-a-generation landmark and their commitment to safety and quality,” the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA)’s chief executive officer Charl van Niekerk said in a statement.
Construction milestones include:
- Bridge tower construction is complete with towers now standing at their final height of 220 metres/722 feet.
- Only 10 of 56 segments remain to be installed on the bridge deck over the Detroit River.
- Only 20 of 216 stay cables remain to be installed.
- The falsework bents supporting the back span of the bridge are now removed.
- All 40 steel edge girders in the approach spans connecting the bridge to both Ports of Entry have been placed.
- At the Canadian and US Ports of Entry, paving of lanes, parking lots and roadways is ongoing while painting and floor installation has started inside 10 of 12 buildings.
- The final girders that are being installed on the ramps vary in length from 148 metres/487 feet to 304 metres/997 feet and connect I-75 to the US Port of Entry.
- One section of the 3 km/1.9 mile Sandwich Street reconstruction project is completed with another section currently underway and a third to start this spring.
“As we celebrate 2000 days of construction, I continue to take pride in the hard work and commitment to safety I see every day with the workers at BNA. As our progress becomes more visible, excitement is building amongst the public and shared by the BNA team as we move closer to construction completion,” said David Henderson, CEO, Bridging North America.
Construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project is anticipated to be completed in September 2025 with the first vehicles travelling across the bridge that fall.