WDBA Gordie Howe International Bridge
Client: Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA)
Location: Detroit, MI, U.S., and Windsor, ON, Canada
Business Segment: Urban Solutions
Industry: Infrastructure
Executive Summary
Bridging North America, a partnership of Fluor, ACS Infrastructure Canada and Aecon Group Inc., was the private-sector partner selected to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the CAD$5.7 billion (approximate US$4.4 billion) Gordie Howe International Bridge project for Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA).
When completed, the bridge would be the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America.
Client's Challenge
The Gordie Howe International Bridge project included a bridge and border crossing spanning the Detroit River and connecting Detroit, Michigan, U.S., and Windsor, Ontario, Canada, by linking Interstate 75 and Interstate 96 in Michigan with the new extension of Highway 401 (Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway) in Ontario.
Fluor's Solution
Fluor, ACS Infrastructure Canada and Aecon Group Inc., led the development phase of the project and would hold the prime contract. This was the second Fluor and ACS partnership project in the Windsor-Detroit area. Shortly before this project, Fluor and ACS had delivered, and were currently maintaining, the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway in Windsor, Ontario, that would connect to the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
The scope also included building new, state-of-the-art ports of entry on both the U.S. and Canadian sides of the Detroit River as well as improvements to existing infrastructure in both Michigan and Ontario. Early works started in the summer 2018, and financial close was reached on September 28, 2018. The project broke ground on July 17, 2018 in Detroit for early works and held a construction start event on October 5, 2018 at the future Canadian port of entry.
Conclusion
A Fluor partnership was selected to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Gordie Howe International Bridge project. Fluor, ACS Infrastructure Canada and Aecon Group Inc., would operate and maintain the facility for 30 years to performance standards established by WDBA following completion.
In November 2019, Bridging North America won gold for Project Financing in the 2019 National Awards for Innovation and Excellence in Public-Private Partnerships. The award was presented by the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships at its 27th annual conference in Toronto.
In 2021, the project received the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI) Envision® Platinum Award for delivering exceptional improvements in the social, economic and environmental conditions of the community. In addition, the project was recognized by P3 Bulletin with a gold award under the Environmental, Social and Governance of the Year category at the 2020 Public-Private Partnership (P3) Awards.
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