The opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge has been delayed nearly a year, officials confirmed on Thursday.
According to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, construction on the bridge is set to be completed for September 2025 with the first vehicles expected to travel across the bridge in the fall of 2025.
Originally, the more than $4 billion bridge was set to be completed later this year, but officials say the project experienced "unprecedented disruptions" from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for the bridge because of different restrictions in the U.S. and CAnada.
“After a three-year pandemic and considering the size and complexity of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project, our project team is pleased that the impact to the construction schedule is limited to only 10 months beyond the original contracted completion date and that we could agree on a reasonable adjustment to the contract value. With safety as our top priority, we will continue to work together to deliver this much-needed infrastructure to the thousands of eager travelers ready to cross North America’s longest cable-stayed bridge," Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority CEO Charl van Niekerk said.
The WDBA also said it has budgeted for a one-year extension on the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits plan.
Construction crews did make significant progress in 2022 and 2023, according to officials. That includes bridge and road deck construction, stay cable installation and port-of-entry facilities.
This year, crews expect to connect the bridge deck over the Detroit River and install the last of the 216 stay cables, plus complete the port-of-entry agency buildings and concrete on the I-75 ramps.
Once the project is complete, the team will finalize operating processes and test the bridge to fully prepare for traffic crossings in the fall of 2025.
