1,000 days of construction: Gordie Howe International Bridge surpasses milestone

It's been over 1,000 days since construction began on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, and there's plenty of work ahead before the Ontario-Michigan border crossing's anticipated completion in 2024.

The milestone was reached on July 1, according to the organization leading the project.

The bridge will serve as another corridor for the movement of people and goods between Windsor and Detroit, complementing the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge, considered the busiest Canada-U.S. border crossing, as well as the Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry.

Construction has continued through the COVID-19 pandemic. The biggest challenge now is keeping the project on schedule, said Michael Hatchell, CEO for Bridging North America, the private-sector consortium leading construction.

It will be months before the impact of COVID-19 on the project will be known, since the pandemic has affected supply chains for construction materials.

"So far we are still at the goal," said Bryce Phillips, CEO of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. "We're still working toward the end of 2024."

The bridge tower on the Canadian side stands about 43 metres — about as high as the roadway on the 853-metre cable-stay bridge will eventually stand.

According to the authority, significant progress has been made since the project kicked off in 2018. It includes the near-completion of design, utility and earth work, the start of construction on the bridge towers and the Canadian Port of Entry, and the completion of the tower foundations and perimeter access road at the Canadian port. Three demolished road bridges on the Michigan side are being reconstructed.

The project has involved over 3,900 workers, and late last month, the project marked three million hours without a workplace injury requiring an employee to take time off.

"Our goal is to have no incidents," Hatchell said.

About 140 workers have been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to Phillips, but none contracted the illness on site.

"That says a lot about the safety performance and attention the constructors pay to safety," he said.

In a media release, federal Minister of Infrastructure Catherine McKenna called the project a "once-in-a-generation" bridge.

"As one of Canada's most significant infrastructure projects, the Gordie Howe International Bridge is creating thousands of jobs and driving economic activity today and will serve as an important trade corridor for Canada and the U.S. once complete and for generations to come. Congratulations on this important milestone."

Anyone wanting to get a closer look at the construction sites can access a 360-degree virtual tour here.