Windsor, Ontario – Excitement is building for the Gordie Howe International Bridge project team as they begin the final steps to connect the bridge deck over the Detroit River. With 26 metres/85 feet remaining, the same width as an official NHL rink, it is anticipated that the two sides will connect at the end of June.
Over the next four-to-six weeks, bridge enthusiasts from land and the river will observe a multi-step process leading up to the bridge deck connection. Crews must install one more segment on the US side that measures 15 metres/49 feet before work starts on the final segment, known as the mid-span closure. Once connected, the bridge deck spanning the distance between the two iconic towers will measure 853 metres/0.53 miles making it the longest main span of any cable-stayed bridge in North America and the tenth longest in the world. It will also be the longest composite steel and concrete bridge deck for any cable-stayed bridge in the world.
Even though it will appear the bridge is completed, there is still plenty of work remaining before the bridge opens in fall 2025. Crews will stress stay cables and install electrical, fire suppression and drainage systems, barriers, signage, lighting, deck paving, and pavement markings and complete the multi-use path.
Bridging the Gap
A white beam signals the last section of the Gordie Howe Bridge deck on the American Side
Our crew slipped the dock lines shortly after 8am on a warm, quiet Monday morning in May to record the progress on the Gordie Howe International Bridge from a boat on the Detroit River exclusively for EL CENTRAL.
As the boat traveled downstream past downtown, the morning haze lifted and revealed the stark outlines of the Ambassador Bridge and, about one mile south, the bright outline of the new Gordie Howe International Bridge. Passing under the Ambassador Bridge at just a little after 9am, the scene of a large, 49-ft white steel beam being hoisted by a giant red crane on the American side of the Bridge slowly emerged. We came to learn that we were witnessing the placement of the last section on American side of the bridge deck before the final 36′ segment will fill the gap next month. To our left was a crane flying the Canadian Flag on Victoria Day and to our right the American crane with workers preparing to secure the white beam to support the roadbed from the American Tower.
We could not believe our eyes as the American crane slowly lowered the beam into alignment and a worker walked to the end of the beam with the nonchalance of a Sunday stroll. Minutes later, he walked back to the other end of the beam and gave the signal to the crew of workers, and suddenly, bolts were being driven through the beam to anchor it to the existing structure. The machine gun noise of impact hammers that tightened the nuts on the bolts punctuated the operation for about ten minutes as about a dozen workers swarmed the beam end. Then it was done. The two spans were ready for the final connection: Windsor, Ontrario and Detroit, Michigan are one significant step closer to finishing a spectacular new bridge – the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America!
The Crew
Nos Acercamos a Cerrar la Brecha
En Windsor, Ontario, crece el entusiasmo por parte del equipo del proyecto del Puente Internacional Gordie Howe, que están dando los últimos pasos para conectar la plataforma sobre el río Detroit. Con 26 metros/85 pies restantes, el mismo ancho que una pista oficial de la NHL, se prevé que esté conectado a finales de junio.
De las próximas cuatro a seis semanas, los espectadores del puente, podrán observar desde tierra o el río, el proceso que conducirá a la conexión de la plataforma. Las cuadrillas deben instalar un segmento más en el lado estadounidense que mide 15 metros/49 pies antes de que comiencen los trabajos en el segmento final, conocido como cierre a mitad del tramo. Una vez conectado, el tablero del puente que abarca la distancia entre las dos torres icónicas medirá 853 metros/0,53 millas, lo que lo convierte en el tramo principal más largo de cualquier puente colgante en América del Norte y el décimo más largo del mundo. También tendrá la cubierta compuesta de acero y hormigón más larga del mundo en cualquier puente colgante.
Aunque parece que el puente esta terminado, todavía queda mucho trabajo antes de que se habilite en el otoño de 2025. Las cuadrillas tensarán los cables e instalarán sistemas eléctricos, de extinción de incendios y de drenaje, barreras, señalización, iluminación, pavimentación y marcas en el pavimento y completaran el camino de usos múltiples.
