'Historic' handshake of Canadian and U.S. ironworkers as Gordie Howe bridge connects
Canadian and U.S. ironworkers shook hands across the border as the Gordie Howe bridge deck officially becomes an international crossing.
Bridge officials shared the “historic” moment Friday as ironworkers and operating engineers in Canada and the U.S. completed the installation of the final two edge girders for the deck.Canadian and U.S. ironworkers shook hands across the border as the Gordie Howe bridge deck between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit on Friday, June 14, 2024. (Source: Gordie Howe International Bridge/X)
The initial international contact was reached Monday when temporary beams were placed between the two bridge decks over the Detroit River.The Gordie Howe International Bridge is official an international crossing, now that temporary beams have been placed in the middle of the Canada-U.S. bridge. (Source: Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority)
“This is one of the most physically visible milestones in the project,” said David Henderson, the CEO of Bridging North America, the contractor building the bridge.
Henderson said there was a collective sigh of relief as the two sides come together, which is a sight roughly 20 years in the making.
This week, temporary beams were replaced with a permanent beam and within a matter of weeks, the bridge deck be fully connected.
“We'll actually move those units on top of the bridge deck and then we'll actually be able to deliver some of the remaining materials and equipment over the bridge,” Henderson said.
About a year of work remains on the bridge and the surrounding ports of entry, but the finish line is now on the horizon.
Once the deck is complete and barring any setbacks, work on the $6.4 billion bridge will resume, with a completion date scheduled late summer or early fall 2025.
~With files from CTV Windsor’s Rich Garton.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Israel launches strikes on military targets in Iran, escalating Mideast wars
Israel launched airstrikes early Saturday on what it described as military targets in Iran in retaliation for a ballistic missile assault Oct. 1, officials said. There was no immediate information on damage in the Islamic Republic.
DEVELOPING Scotiabank confirms outage for mobile, online banking
Scotiabank has confirmed outages affecting mobile and online banking services, according to a statement published to its X account.
'I did everything I could': Canada Post driver recounts helping save woman from fiery Tesla crash
Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others helped save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.
An abrupt goodbye to a guerilla goldfish aquarium beneath a leaky Brooklyn fire hydrant
A makeshift aquarium that popped up this summer in a puddle beneath a leaky fire hydrant in New York City has been paved over, to the dismay of neighbours who turned the area into a hangout spot and goldfish shrine.
Climate change breaks heat records across Canada this summer
Human-caused climate change made almost all of Canada’s heat waves hotter and more likely, Environment and Climate Change Canada said in an announcement Friday.
Mother who beat and starved her 5-year-old son to death sentenced to over 50 years in prison
A New Hampshire woman was sentenced Friday to 53 years to life in prison in the death of her 5-year-old son, who was beaten, starved and exposed to drugs before his 19-pound body was found buried in a Massachusetts park in 2021.
'Get away from your inner circle': Liberal MP 'shocked' PM didn't take more time to reflect on calls to resign
Longtime Liberal MP Wayne Long says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should give more weight to the views of his backbenchers in determining his future leading the Party, rather than relying on those in his immediate orbit.
Mom and child jumped from a window to escape a Las Vegas fire that killed 2 children and 2 adults
Two adults and two children were found dead in the charred rubble of a house fire after a mother and another child jumped from a third-floor window to escape flames in a southwest Las Vegas neighborhood, authorities said.
Russian actors made fake video depicting mail-in ballots for Trump being destroyed, FBI says
Russian actors made a widely circulated video falsely depicting mail-in ballots for Donald Trump being destroyed in Pennsylvania, U.S. officials said Friday.