An overview of the webinar hosted by Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) and Heather Grondin, Chief Relations Officer for Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority

In May, the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) hosted a webinar covering updates on the Gordie Howe International Bridge Project. Heather Grondin, Chief Relations Officer for Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, detailed how the project is going and what is expected from this massive undertaking once it is complete.

Project Overview

The Gordie Howe International Bridge Project has been under way for many years and plans to wrap up this Fall 2025. Overall, this project has a 6.4-billion-dollar budget, which includes the bridge, both Canadian and US ports of entry, and the highway integration to/from highway 401 and the Michigan Interchange (I-75). The four components of the project are significant on their own, but all together they make this project one of the biggest infrastructure projects currently underway in North America.

Located between Windsor and Detroit, this is one of the busiest land commercial border crossings on the Canadian and US border. This project will ensure that they have the capacity to manage traffic, the latest technology for border processing, and for the first time, this area will have highway to highway connectivity, so it ensures that travellers both commercial and passenger will no longer need to stop at nine plus traffic lights to get through Windsor, Ontario.

The Bridge

The Bridge itself will be a cable-stayed bridge spanning 853 meters and will run two and a half kilometres long, making it the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America. The towers along the bridge will enhance the Windsor skyline and will act as an ease of travel for commercial and passenger cars, and pedestrians and cyclists as well.

There will be three traffic lanes and a full width emergency lane running in each direction, making the bridge eight lanes in total. These lanes, depending on how busy traffic is, can change to accommodate traffic running US or Canadian bound using overhead signage. To ensure that everyone has safe travels, there is a concrete barrier separating a 12-foot-wide multiuse path for pedestrians and cyclists.

Canadian Port of Entry

The Canadian port of entry for this project will be about 130 acres in size, and includes over 130K square feet in building space. It is designed with commercial and passenger users in mind, recognizing the different journeys that travellers are going on. There will be 24 different inspection lanes, 12 of which will be dedicated to passenger vehicles; but are possible to convert over to commercial through signage if need be.

All toll collection occurs through the Canadian port of entry; travellers coming off of the 401 headed US bound will be required to pay tolls in both passenger and commercial vehicles. Toll rates will be finalized and announced later this year, but there will be a loyalty program available for customers regularly travelling through the crossing that will include transponders and RFID tags.

US Port of Entry

The US port of entry will be slightly larger than the Canadian side at 167 acres and occupying 330K square feet of building space, which will make this the largest US port along the Canadian/US border. On this side of things, there will be 36 primary inspection lanes, 15 of which will be dedicated to commercial users.

Michigan Interchange (I-75)

This aspect of the project will give the end-to-end connectivity, giving travellers the ability to travel from the 401 to the I-75, or vice versa, without needing to stop at any stop lights. This part of the project includes the construction of foru massive connecting ramps, a number of local road improvements, four new road bridges over the I-75, four new pedestrian bridges over the I-75, and local improvements as well.

Heather Grondin said that “once this bridge opens, people will be able to travel from Montreal to Florida or Texas without stopping once at a traffic light.”

Intelligent Transportation System

The technology implemented into this massive project will help automatic the processes and create efficiency in the border crossings. This tech will work collaboratively with border agencies, road authorities, first responders, emergency services on both sides of the border, and more.

There are three key aspects to this tech:

1. Traffic Management
   • Traffic Management Centre operating 24/7
   • Automated incident detection
   • Lane management
   • Traffic insights
2. Traveller Information
   • Border wait times
   • Integration into state/provincial border advisory systems
   • Dynamic message sign system
   • Connected vehicle system
3. Operations and Maintenance
   • Road weather information systemBridge monitoring system
   • Customer safety

The Gordie Howe International Bridge Project focuses on customer centricity in all four aspects of the project, making travel easy, simple, and efficient.

PMTC will continue to update membership on this project as updates come out!