It will be months before residents will be able to see the design of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

The Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority held the first of two public information meetings on the new international crossing at MacKenzie Hall on Tuesday.

Residents who attended the meeting learned metal work continues on both the Canadian and American side of the border.

The Bridge Authority also remains in the procurement process for a private sector partner.

Director of Communications Mark Butler says they will announce who will build and operate the crossing in June, and then more information will be announced later this summer.

“We have to go through negotiations with them so by September of this year, we'll be getting details on the actual contract, how long it's going to take to get the bridge built and at the point in time we will share what the bridge is going to look like,” says Butler.

The WDBA will hold a second meeting about the crossing on Wednesday in Detroit at 6705 West Lafayette Blvd.

The authority announced in March that it has awarded a Markham company the $61-million contract for the design-build phase of the bridge project.

Parsons Inc. of Markham has been selected for the role of owner’s engineer for the project.

Construction on the new multi-million dollar bridge between Windsor and Detroit will begin this year.