Crews installed the final segment, known as the mid-span closure, officially connecting the deck at the Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich. This marks the bridge as an official international crossing, set to open in fall 2025.

Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) president Stephen Laskowski joined Sean Fraser, Canada’s minister of housing, infrastructure, and communities, and Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer in Windsor, Ont., to celebrate the latest achievement in the ongoing construction of the bridge.

OTA said in a news release that the Gordie Howe International Bridge, measuring 853 meters (0.53 miles), is the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America and the 10th longest in the world. It is the first new crossing to connect Ontario and Michigan in more than 60 years and will contribute to economic growth by strengthening the fluidity and resiliency of the Windsor-Detroit trade corridor.

“The Gordie Howe International Bridge project continues to pave the way for a brighter trading future for Canada and its largest trading partner. It will modernize the Canada-U.S. supply chain while ensuring the billions of dollars of trade and thousands of trucks that flow between Windsor and Detroit daily are moved even more securely and efficiently,” Laskowski said.

The work is advancing on the Michigan interchange, too, with the construction of pedestrian bridges and ramps connecting I-75 in Detroit to the U.S. port of entry, creating a direct highway-to-highway link to Highway 401 in Windsor for the first time.

However, it will take approximately one more year of work until the first vehicles cross the bridge in fall next year. Now, the construction focus shifts from the deck to the bridge surface, Gordie Howe International Bridge officials said in a news release.

Next steps

The next phases of the project include installing electrical and drainage systems, fire suppression, and road surface work.

Electrical work with lighting and instrumentation systems is underway, and the drainage system will include 332 scuppers to manage stormwater.

The fire suppression system will integrate a semi-automatic dry standpipe with fire pumps and hydrants. Fine-tuning of the stay cables and pouring the concrete road surface is also underway.

Safety features — such as barriers, fencing, security cameras, and emergency call boxes — and a peregrine falcon nesting box will be implemented in 2025.