The effort to build a second span across the Detroit River has picked up yet another honour.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge project was named this week as an outstanding emerging project by the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (NCPPP), a non-profit organisation that has supported public-private partnerships in projects at all levels of government for over 30 years.
According to a media release from the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA), which oversees the bridge project, the NCPPP recognised it being a trailblazer for future public-private partnerships, and that the project demonstrates "extraordinary innovation and creativity in the form of concept, approach or use of technology".
“We are honoured to have the Gordie Howe International Bridge project recognized by an organisation that celebrates the best in public-private partnerships, and to be the first recipient of this prestigious award in the category of emerging P3 projects," said WDBA CEO Bryce Phillips. "WDBA is proud to work with our private-sector partner, Bridging North America, in delivering North America’s longest cable-stayed bridge.”
The WDBA had run a lengthy, concentrated procurement process to find a private-sector partner like Bridging North America. The project not only involves the bridge span itself, but also the Canadian and U.S. ports of entry, as well as the direct interchange from the bridge to I-75 in Detroit.
Construction of the bridge is well underway with a projected completion date of fall 2024.
Other awards the Gordie Howe International Bridge project has received include the IJGlobal’s Road Deal of the Year, Lexpert’s Canadian Deal of the Year, PFI’s Transport Deal of the Year and the 2019 Oracle Project of the Year Award.