There will be a significant announcement regarding the Gordie Howe International Bridge. According to CTV in Windsor, the company who will be building the structure is expected to be named. A news conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday. Construction of the bridge could get underway later this year. Once completed, it will connect I-75 in Detroit to Highway 401 in Windsor.<doc-sep>Share this Story: Bridging North America to build Gordie Howe International Bridge Bridging North America to build Gordie Howe International Bridge After more than three years of consideration, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority has announced the winning bid to build the long-awaited Gordie Howe International Bridge. Photo by Courtesy of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority / Windsor Star Article content The long-awaited Gordie Howe International Bridge will be the longest cable-stayed bridge on the continent — and it will be constructed by the international builder group called Bridging North America. The winning team — one of three finalists to bid on the landmark multibillion-dollar project — was announced in downtown Windsor on Thursday morning. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Bridging North America to build Gordie Howe International Bridge Back to video “This is history in the making,” said Dwight Duncan, chair of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority’s board of directors. The announcement is one of the project’s most significant milestones since its beginnings in 2001 and its official naming in 2015. Photo by Dan Janisse / Windsor Star Once complete, the cable-stayed bridge will extend 853 metres between its Windsor and Detroit piers, making the main span the longest of its kind in North America. According to the WDBA, the bridge’s “A”-shaped towers will rival the height of Detroit’s 73-storey Renaissance Center. There will be six lanes for motor vehicles — two more lanes than the Ambassador Bridge — with a separate pathway for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The Canadian plaza — to be joined with the Herb Gray Parkway — will be the largest Canadian port of entry anywhere on the U.S.-Canada border. Estimates of the project’s total cost have ranged from $2.1 billion to $4.5 billion. Mark Butler, the WDBA’s director of communications, said financial close of the agreement with Bridging North America will be reached by the end of September, and the WDBA will be able to announce a more definite contract cost and construction schedule at that time. Duncan said he expects Bridging North America to begin working on the project this month, and major construction should begin in the fall of this year. The terms of the “P3” — public-private partnership — arrangement include delivery of the project at a predetermined price, payment on performance, and guarantees that the infrastructure will be well-maintained for the duration of the agreement. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “A public-private partnership is just that — it is a partnership,” said Duncan. “In this case, a long-term partnership that will last 30 years once the crossing is in service.” Photo by Courtesy of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority / Windsor Star The question of who will build the bridge has been under careful consideration for more than three years. Six international teams initially applied for the job, boiled down to three proponents in early 2016. Along with Bridging North America, the groups Legacy Link Partners and CanAm Gateway Partners were on the short-list of bidders. Requests for proposals were formally issued by the bridge authority in November 2016. Each of the bidding teams was composed of multiple firms representing fields such as construction, engineering, architecture, finance, law and bridge operations. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content Bridging North America includes the firms: ACS Infrastructure Canada Inc. Dragados Canada Inc. Fluor Canada Ltd. AECOM RBC Dominion Securities Inc. Carlos Fernandez Casado and FHECOR Ingenieros Consultores, S.A. Moriyama and Teshima Architects Smith-Miller+Hawkinson Architects The team originally had the involvement of Canadian construction firm Aecon, but Aecon abruptly withdrew from the group in May — likely due to the potential takeover of Aecon by a Chinese state-owned company, which was then blocked by the Canadian government. Heather Grondin, WDBA vice-president of communications and stakeholder relations, said a third-party “fairness monitor” has been ensuring that the bridge authority’s procurement process is being conducted in a “fair, open and transparent manner.” Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “We have fought off every challenge imaginable,” Duncan told assembled media. “I can assure you that the governments of Canada and Michigan … remain committed not only to get this thing built, but to get started just as soon as we can. And that is literally days and weeks away.” Nevertheless, Duncan said he expects more court dates with the Morouns. “I think we’ve been challenged in court some 25 times. I think we’ve won every lawsuit. I anticipate more. I think we’re back in court in a couple weeks.” “We will bring every effort to bear on making sure this project continues.” Work has already begun on the Canadian end of the crossing, in Windsor’s Brighton Beach area, and on the U.S. end, in the Delray neighbourhood of southwestern Detroit. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content According to the WDBA, more than a million tonnes of fill have been placed on the Canadian site to grade the area linking with the parkway. Meanwhile, Michigan’s Department of Transportation has acquired 93 per cent of the properties necessary for placement of the U.S. port of entry, and more than 250 buildings have been demolished so far to make way for the plaza. Photo by Dan Janisse / Windsor Star Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens hailed Thursday’s announcement as a major step in making the crossing a reality and said he’s looking forward to the cable-stayed bridge becoming the new iconic landmark for the city and region. “This will be the postcard backdrop on all the material that comes out of Windsor and Detroit,” Dilkens predicted. But Thursday’s fanfare has been a long time coming for the City of Windsor. Dilkens noted that the municipality’s legal battles with “a special interest group” — i.e. the Moroun family — have been ongoing since he was first elected to city council in 2006. “We took matters all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. We were willing to do that because we wanted to protect our city, and we wanted to protect Sandwich Towne,” said Dilkens. “This is one of the largest infrastructure projects in our entire nation. And it’s going to be built right here in our own backyard, employing lots of people for a long period of time … I’m just thrilled and super excited about this project.” dchen@postmedia.com Who will build the long-awaited Gordie Howe International Bridge? We’ll find out this morning. It’s one of the most significant announcements yet on the landmark multi-billion-dollar project that’s been in the works since 2004. ⁦@GordieHoweBrg⁩ #Windsor #Detroit pic.twitter.com/LG7qG7sgzZ — Dalson Chen (@WinStarChen) July 5, 2018 Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content .⁦@DwightDuncan⁩, chair of the #Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority’s board of directors, is expected to speak on the selected builder for the Gordie Howe International Bridge. ⁦@GordieHoweBrg⁩ #HoweBridge2018 #Windsor #Detroit pic.twitter.com/0LDYTqwVX9 — Dalson Chen (@WinStarChen) July 5, 2018 Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content A full house in downtown #Windsor for the latest announcement on the Gordie Howe International Bridge project. Attendees from both sides of the border. ⁦@GordieHoweBrg⁩ #HoweBridge2018 #Detroit pic.twitter.com/n69Zu0NQEf — Dalson Chen (@WinStarChen) July 5, 2018 Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Advertisement Story continues below This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content “This is history in the making,” says ⁦@DwightDuncan⁩. Bridging North America will begin their work on the Gordie Howe International Bridge this month - the start of a 30-year partnership. @GordieHoweBrg⁩ #HoweBridge2018 #Windsor #Detroit pic.twitter.com/Xg6DJvfmNU — Dalson Chen (@WinStarChen) July 5, 2018<doc-sep>The Bridging North America consortium that includes AECOM and Fluor Canada was selected as the preferred proponent to build and operate the Gordie Howe International Bridge, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority announced Thursday. Construction of the $2-billion bridge is expected to begin later this year. The bridge consortium, which also includes ACS Infrastructure Canada Inc. and Dragados Canada Inc., beat out two competitors: a group headed by SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. and another that included EllisDon Inc. Story continues below advertisement Aecon Group Inc. was initially part of the winning bidder but pulled out in May as it was undergoing a federal review about a proposed takeover by a Chinese state-owned company that was ultimately blocked by the Canadian government. Even before the takeover by China Communications Construction Company was rejected, the federal government had reportedly decided that Aecon couldn’t work on the bridge for security reasons and opposition from the U.S. administration. “The Gordie Howe International Bridge will support economic growth by improving connections between Canada and the U.S., enabling the continuous flow of people and goods through a safe, secure and efficient Windsor-Detroit trade corridor,” Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi said in a statement. The six-lane span that will be an alternative to the busy Ambassador Bridge is important for the vital trade corridor that is the busiest between the two countries, said Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. He said the bridge financed by Canada will create thousands of jobs in the state. “It greatly enhances our supply chain and will create economic opportunities and growth in ways many people have not yet fully realized,” he stated. Bridging North America’s plan for the bridge calls for a six-lane, 2.5-kilometre cable-stayed design. Story continues below advertisement The bridge authority said it still needs to negotiate the final contract details. The cost of the project, design details and expected construction schedule are expected to be announced once the contract has been awarded and signed in September.<doc-sep>
A who’s who of Canadian politicians gathered in Windsor, Ontario early Thursday morning to unveil the company that will oversee the construction, operation and upkeep of the Gordie Howe International Bridge in the years to come. While financial details are not expected to be released until late September, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) announced that Bridging North America has been chosen as the private partner to complete the newest international crossing between the United States and Canada. “This is history in the making,” said Dwight Duncan, the chairperson who made the announcement. “Construction of the long-awaited Gordie Howe International Bridge will begin later this month. I’m very proud to be here today, to be part of it and to share this announcement with you and I look forward to the exciting building of our new bridge which will bridge our two communities and our two countries,” Duncan added. A surprise announcement followed the unveiling of Bridging North America’s selection for the job — the team working on the bridge announced that the Gordie Howe International bridge will be the longest cable-stayed bridge in all of North America. A conceptual image was released that boasts towers that are said to rival the height of the GM Renaissance Center. The bridge itself will span longer than 850 meters or roughly 2,800 feet. That said, the bridge won’t come without challenges. Duncan noted during a question-and-answer segment with media that they’ve already had roughly 25 legal challenges to date. “We’ve won every lawsuit, and I anticipate more,” Duncan said. MDOT still has work to do on its end, according to an update at the unveiling roughly 95 percent of the parcels on the American side of the bridge have been purchased. To complete the port of entry project on the Michigan side of the bridge, more than 250 parcels had to be bought. Asked whether the unfinished purchasing would cause any delays in construction, a spokesperson for the WDBA said that things are moving along at this time and pointed out that they’ve made great strides in the past few weeks, and that work would continue as soon as today to finish the remaining purchases that need to be made. "It's more modern looking," WDBA Spokesperson Mark Butler said. As for the project itself, additional details about the port of entries and the bridge came with Thursday’s announcement. Among the notable items: the bridge will include six lanes and a portion for bicycle/pedestrian traffic, the lifespan for the bridge is estimated at 125 years, and the port of entries will be among the largest for both the United States and Canada. Construction work has already begun on the Canadian side of the border. That work included raising the level of the construction site and bringing in specialists to move evasive species ahead of construction. Advanced work is expected to start in Michigan this month. Questions remain about how many local workers will be involved in the building of the bridge, however, multiple representatives of the companies involved said that local workers will be top of mind during construction. That being said, when asked whether a percentage of workers that are expected to be local or even a ballpark number could be produced, no number could be given. The Gordie Howe International Bridge project is planned to bridge Detroit and Windsor by linking Interstate 75 and Interstate 96 in Michigan with the new extension of Highway 401 in Windsor — a road that was built in anticipation of the new border crossing. Dwight Duncan explained,”Bridging our two countries, which will bridge our communities, which will provide jobs and economic growth for all of us on both sides of the border. “We have fought off every challenge imaginable. I can assure you that the governments of Canada and Michigan, the signatories of this, remain committed,” Duncan added. Bridging North America, the partner selected for the project, is a partnership that was created between two companies to compete for the bid to design, construct and operate the new international bridge. The partnership consists of Fluor Corporation and ACS Infrastructure Canada. Though not present at the announcement, Governor Snyder reacted to the bridge announcement in writing stating that the bridge will bring thousands of jobs to Michigan. “It greatly enhances our supply chain and will create economic opportunities and growth in ways many people have not yet fully realized,” said Snyder. Further details about the design, and cost, of the bridge are expected later this year.