Shovels hit the ground for the Gordie Howe International Bridge

By Matt Flood

As he broke ground on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hinted he hopes to beat the 2024 build deadline.

Dignitaries from both sides of the border along with several hundred invited guests took part in the ceremonial construction announcement for the new international crossing on Oct. 5. The 2.5 kilometre bridge will cost a total of $5.7 billion as it is built over the next six years and will directly link the Ontario’s Highway 401 and Michigan’s I-75.

Dwight Duncan, chairman of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority board of directors and former Liberal MPP, led the announcement. Trudeau was among the speakers.  

“The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a massive, ambitious infrastructure project that will create thousands of good jobs for tradespeople, designers and engineers alike, including by the time they’ve graduated, these young students behind me,” said Trudeau.

The students Trudeau was referring to are members of the Construction Academy of the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board, who stood behind the stage throughout the announcement. The Construction Academy is a program designed to provide students with experience and opportunities for apprenticeships and employment in the construction industry. 

Minister of Infrastructure and Communities François-Philippe Champagne estimated the bridge would create 2,500 jobs.

Trudeau said he spoke to Governor of Michigan Rick Snyder about the possibility of accelerating the timeline of the bridge’s construction. Snyder was present at the announcement and thanked Canada.

“You’re providing the capital for this project, you came to our aid in a time where we didn’t have the resources to do a project like this,” said Snyder.

Mayor Drew Dilkens said he looks forward to the jobs created by the project and the jobs produced by the community. According to Dilkens, both the bridge project and the mega-hospital project mark an exciting next 10 years for Windsor.

“Well, you can have no more certainty that the project is going to happen than to have your prime minister come to your city and put a shovel in the ground and congratulate everyone for a job well done,” said Dilkens. “This is going to be massive.”

Dr. Murray Howe, son of legendary hockey player Gordie Howe, represented the family at the announcement. Howe described his late father as a bridge between Detroit and Windsor and said his father was a “blown away” seeing where the bridge would be built.

“It’s so rare for someone to be alive and to recognize when this honour is being given to them,” said Howe. “I was so glad that he was able to experience that.”