Gordie Howe bridge opening delayed a year

Gordie Howe Bridge to open a year behind schedule

The massive undertaking of building a new bridge between the U.S. and Canada won't be complete until 2025. The authority overseeing the work said Covid delayed construction, as well as other costs.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - The Gordie Howe International Bridge will open a year later than planned due to "unprecedented disruptions" the company overseeing the project said was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originally scheduled to open in November 2024, the new expected date for opening is September 2025. The $5.7 billion project has been in the works for decades while construction has been ongoing for the past several years.

Earlier in 2023, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority announced they had completed the towers that will overlook the suspension bridge.

Because of the delays, the new overall contract for the project now stands at $6.4 billion. The amended cost of the bridge was agreed on by the authority and Bridging North America, which said in a news release the partnership allows for changes in cost.

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Along with the delay comes an extension to the community benefits plan agreed on between the bridge company with Delray and Southwest Detroit, as well as neighborhoods in Windsor.

"After a three-year pandemic and considering the size and complexity of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project, our project team is pleased that the impact to the construction schedule is limited to only 10 months beyond the original contracted completion date and that we could agree on a reasonable adjustment to the contract value," said Charl van Niekerk, CEO of the authority.