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First 1,000 days shows significant progress to the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project

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London, Ont. -

It has been one thousand days since the start of construction on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, and the work is near completion.

The towers that will bear the weight of an 850 metre-long cabled stayed bridge, the largest in North America is well underway.

“We’re at 140-foot elevation right now. We’re going to go to 720 feet total when all is said and done. So where you see the catwalk up top, is where the traffic is going to be driving when the job is finished,” says project manager Michael Hatchell.

The first thousand days includes:

  • Completion of all design work
  • Earthworks
  • Utility work
  • Start and completion of the Perimeter Access Road at the Canadian Port of Entry (POE)
  • Earthworks and utitlity work at the US POE
  • Demolition and start of reconstruction of three bridges
  • Completion of the tower foundations
  • Start of construction of the bridge towers

Construction began on Oct. 5, 2018 with official construction costing $5.7 billion.

Construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge in Windsor, Ont. on Thursday, July 8 2021. (Rich Garton/CTV Windsor)

“We’ve been going back and forth on both sides, a little bit of a competition who can get higher, faster,” says Matchell. “Canada was ahead, I think the US is ahead by one lift right now, but it goes back and forth.”

During the first 1,000 days, three million hours have been logged by nearly 4,000 workers.

There were 140 workers who caught COVID, but due to strict health and safety protocols, none were caught on sight, and no time was lost due to outbreaks.

“We’re still fighting through some of the challenges, the pandemic being the biggest one but Michael and I are committed to that working relationship to get this project done by 2024,” says Windsor- Detroit Bridge Authority CEO Bryce Phillips.

He says the project is on target to estimated timelines and remains on budget.

More information on the first thousand days of construction can be found here.

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