Gordie Howe International Bridge — Detroit, Michigan & Windsor, Ontario

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a public-private partnership (P3) project to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain a new international crossing between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan.

The Vision For The Gordie Howe International Bridge

The new Gordie Howe International Bridge will provide for redundancy, improved border processing, capacity and highway-to-highway connectivity at the busiest trade corridor between Canada and the United States. The two ports of entry and direct freeway connections are designed to provide high-capacity border processing and more than 326,000 square feet of contemporary buildings in a landscaped environment, to complement the inspiring new cable-stayed bridge.

Construction Progress And Milestones

The project includes construction of a 2,798-foot (853-meter) cable-stay main span bridge over the Detroit River, United States and Canadian customs inspection plazas, a toll plaza, and a full interchange with I-75 in Michigan, as well as local road improvements in Windsor and Detroit. The design service life of this bridge is greater than 100 years.

The project design and construction consist of a substantial number of both horizontal and vertical infrastructure disciplines for roads, bridges, site development and buildings involving multiple federal and local stakeholder agencies across multiple jurisdictions. The project also is required to meet all U.S. Federal Aid Eligibility Requirements. In January 2023, the Gordie Howe Bridge team erected the first cables on the U.S. side. This milestone achievement allowed the contractor to begin erecting structural steel across the river below. The structural steel and concrete deck for the cable-stayed bridge is complete as are both approach bridges, and the teams are now focused on advancing to opening day.

Key Features

Our Scope

General Engineering Consultant

Parsons provided comprehensive engineering services during the first two phases of the project to support the public-private partnership procurement process through financial close. In Phase 1, services included procurement development, project management, engineering studies, technical reference design, property acquisition technical support with right-of-way plans, utility relocation design and coordination, and preparation of project-specific output specifications. In Phase 2, Parsons delivered technical support throughout the open procurement phase, offering project management, participation in proponent meetings, design package reviews, alternative analyses,
responses to RFIs, and technical proposal evaluations, ensuring a thorough and effective procurement process.

Program Management

After successfully providing engineering and procurement services, we were awarded the third phase of the work and became the owner’s engineer representative for Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority during the design and construction phase. Currently in this third phase, Parsons also provides program management services that include regular audit and assurance, preparation of budgets and financial monitoring, creation and maintenance of risk register, and commitment to continuous improvement

Key Services Provided