Dive Brief:
- The opening of the U.S.-Canada Gordie Howe International Bridge could be delayed until 2026, according to analysis from S&P Global Ratings obtained recently by the Windsor Star. The span between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit has experienced holdups in completing the ports of entry on either side of the border, per the report.
- Even though the $4.7 billion span was ahead of schedule when the report was released on April 28, the contractor had missed two deadlines to hand the Canadian port of entry over to the Canada Border Services Agency and had not yet done so as of April, the Star reported on July 25.
- “It is too early to offer a specific opening date for the Gordie Howe International Bridge,” Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority Spokesperson Heather Grondin told Construction Dive in an email, though she noted work was progressing toward an anticipated finish this fall.
Dive Insight:
Lack of workers may have contributed to delays, the Windsor Star reported, and the S&P report says, "The construction contractor and its subcontractor faced major attrition in a skilled labour force to the construction of a very large car battery manufacturing plant in the same region.”
In June, the tower cranes began to be removed from the jobsite, according to the project website, signaling that construction on the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America is almost complete. Work was originally supposed to wrap by the end of 2024, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays and it is now slated to open in the fall of this year.
“Work is progressing well toward our anticipated completion in fall 2025. We have an estimated two percent of construction work remaining. As has always been the case, our priorities have been the safety of our workers and the quality of our infrastructure, and we will not compromise on either,” Grondin said.
The project’s building team is Bridging North America, a consortium composed of ACS Infrastructure Canada, Fluor Canada and Aecon Concessions. Canada is funding the entire project and will collect all the tolls until it's paid off, after which toll revenue will be split with the U.S. Four main components make up the project:
- Gordie Howe International Bridge.
- U.S. port of entry.
- Canada port of entry.
- The Michigan Interchange, a 1.8-mile section of I-75 and surrounding local roads.
However, the S&P report states that the opening timeline could be extended up to six months if customs facilities were not handed over to the Canada Border Services Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection by May 2025, per the Star. Canada requires possession of the building nine months prior to the bridge's opening to complete its share of the work and CBP needs six months.
Canada’s border agency told CBS News it will be ready to provide services by the opening date, but CBP did not respond to their inquiries. Grodin said that landscaping, paving and fencing work is ongoing, as well as interior work such as drywall and flooring, but did not comment on potential delays.
“As this is an international crossing with security implications for both Canada and the U.S., we are unable to comment on certain aspects of border agency operations at the U.S. and Canadian Ports of Entry,” according to Grondin.
The Star also reported that S&P indicated issues with the siphons system at the Michigan Interchange portion of the project, but the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said work there is almost complete.
“At the Michigan Interchange, the final steps are being undertaken by Bridging North America for the ramps that will connect I-75 to the U.S. Port of Entry with line painting and signage installations underway,” Grondin said. “Work also continues on the five new pedestrian bridges, local road improvements and siphons construction.”
Additionally, work has begun on the technological systems and processes to ensure they all connect with each other, Grondin said.
“We need to ensure that when someone drives up to the toll booth, their RFID tag is read instantly, and that information goes from the camera to the tolling operations centre without any issues,” Grondin said.
This is not the first time S&P has warned of a project delay. In 2022, S&P released a report that said the bridge opening was likely to be pushed back to August 2025, a delay of eight months past the original end of 2024 deadline. At the time, most of the issues leading to delays on the project were on the Detroit side near the newly created interchange with I-75, S&P said.
