Gordie Howe International Bridge set to be accessible by 2024

By Ryan Percy

Citizens of Windsor and Detroit got the chance to have their questions answered at a meeting regarding the upcoming second bridge expansion between the cities.

On Nov. 23 the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority held their annual reporting presentation.

The bridge will act as a direct connection between the Canadian 401 and the US I-75.

Investment in the Canadian Port of Entry totaled $200 million and $150 million has been invested in the U.S. one. Among these preparatory activities has been tree removal on the U.S. Point of Entry and the removal of soil on the Canadian POE site that could fill 92 Olympic sized swimming pools. Nearly 240 buildings have also been demolished.

All of the Canadian property required has been obtained by the WDBA and 96 per cent of U.S. properties have been either acquired or are under court order to vacate.

In 2018, the WDBA incurred expenses of roughly 97 million dollars, up 140 per cent from 2017.

Jerry Lawrence, a corporate strategic manager with Rickman Enterprise Group, said the annual report meeting answered all of his questions

“I think the new CEO addressed most of the questions directly,” Lawrence said. “I posed a question about inclusion of First Nation companies and Detroit based companies and I think he addressed it.”

More than 20 disadvantaged business enterprises have been hired to work on the U.S. project site and almost 600 workers from 50 companies are trained to work at the Canadian POE.

The Chair of the WDBA, Dwight Duncan, said the bridge will help improve the economy in more than just trade.

“There are now people being hired from out of the community,” said Duncan. “They’re either renting places or buying places and in turn they’ll go shopping, out to restaurants and literally it will be in the thousands of people.”

With the bridge set to be open by 2024 and confidence from the project staff at such a high level the Gordie Howe International Bridge is shaping up to be a new artery to let fresh blood into Windsor and Detroit.