'It shouldn’t be a guessing game': 2024 deadline to open Gordie Howe Bridge could be at risk
Construction is humming along at the Gordie Howe International Bridge, with support pylons looming large over West Windsor, more approach bridge deck sprouting by the day and buildings budding from the ground.
“One of the most significant achievements was moving from the individual towers to now moving toward the single pylon that's being built. And you can now see that very clearly on both sides of the border,” said Heather Grondin, the vice president of corporate affairs and external relations with the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority.
When the Canadian government inked the deal with contractor Bridging North America, the bridge was slated to open in 2024.
But that deadline may be in jeopardy.
Bridging North America is the private sector consortium contracted by the federal government to build the $5.7 billion bridge.
Project CEO Michael Hatchell told the media last week he doesn’t expect North America’s largest cable-stayed bridge to be done until 2025, echoing a report from S&P Global that suggests work may slide past the agreed-upon deadline.
Bridging North America reps were not available for comment Tuesday.
“We’re still working toward those the contracted completion date of end of 2024. We're holding our contractor, Bridging North America to that date, and they're continuing to work toward it,” said Grondin.
Windsor-West MP Brian Masse said he would not be surprised if there’s a delay.
“The border authority as well as the minister need to be clear and consistent with Canadians about these timelines,” he said. “It shouldn't be a guessing game. There's investment at stake here.”
Masse said any delays will cause additional grief for Sandwich Town, the host neighbourhood of the project.
He’d like to see any contractual penalties associated with the delay reinvested into the community.
“The people in Sandwich Town, West Windsor and South Windsor and other places don't need to pay for them to get away from the deal that they shook hands on,” said Masse. “That's why we bought insurance. That's why we paid a premium. And that's why we deserve to actually follow through with the contract.”
Grondin said there are a number of steps in place.
“If there's, for some reason, they're not able to meet that contracted date, that would be subject to protracted discussions,” Grondin said.
“We're not at that point. There has been no agreement to change date, and we are very committed to doing everything possible to hit 2024.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.