The authority overseeing the construction of Canada's biggest infrastructure project said the project is moving along.
The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) provided a Zoom update on the Gordie Howe International Bridge (GHIB) project Tuesday afternoon to the Rotary Club of Windsor Roseland. The presentation provided the latest on how the actual build is going, along with an update on the community benefits initiatives that are taken place in both Windsor and Detroit.
The WDBA said the project is expected to be finished in 2024, on time.
WDBA Director of Stakeholder Relations Stephanie Campeau, who gave the presentation, said that the construction is going according to schedule. The four main footings for the bridge's towers, two on each shore of the international border, are complete, and the next step is to start work on the tower legs, the back span, and the anchor piers. This will allow people to start seeing the construction take shape over the Detroit River later this year.
In the construction master plan, the design of the span and the points-of-entry is due to be completed this year, and Campeau estimated the design component to be anywhere from 75 per cent to 90 per cent complete. When asked why the design was continuing after the physical construction had begun, Campeau replied that the process must cover the project's four key principles of redundancy, capacity, border processing, and system connectivity.
Stephanie Campeau, director of stakeholder relations for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, provides an update on construction to the Rotary Club of Windsor Roseland via Zoom, March 23, 2021. Image from Zoom.
"It is across the board," said Campeau. "It's almost like a puzzle. It does seem like it doesn't work, but it seems to be. Right now, they're doing a lot of preparatory work."
With community benefits the centrepiece of the project in the Sandwich Towne area, Campeau said that too, it is an evolving process. The Sandwich Business Development Program, which provides support for small businesses that want to set up shop or expand in the neighbourhood, is a small part of it.
"We have been working to really identify what happens once the bridge is built," said Campeau. "One of the things that we can do is serve as a catalyst."
People will soon be allowed to watch a live stream of the construction process. Cameras have been installed on the Canadian side and will be ready for streaming in about a month. The installation on the American side has been delayed due to COVID-19 priorities, said Campeau.
Complete information on all facets of the bridge project can be found on the bridge's official website.