Local News, Organizations

Detroit And Windsor to Hold Community Appreciation Breakfasts

With a variety of recent and upcoming achievements on the Gordie Howe International Bridge project, Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) and Bridging North America (BNA) look to celebrate with residents and thank them for their support and patience over the last five years of construction by hosting two community appreciation breakfasts.

The events, which will run from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, take place on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at Clark Park in Detroit and Saturday, November 4, 2023, at Sandwich Teen Action Group in Windsor. Each event features entertainment and family-friendly activities along with free breakfast for up to 500 participants.

Pre-register online or by calling 1-844-322-1773 or visiting the Sandwich or Southwest Detroit Community Offices. Advance registration is required.

As progress continues across all four components of the Gordie Howe International Bridge project, the team recognizes the importance of celebrating accomplishments along the way, and there is a lot of recent activity to be proud of.

  • The US bridge tower reached its full height of 220 m/722 ft in August 2023. The Canadian tower is anticipated to reach its full height in October 2023.
  • Half of the 55 bridge deck segments over the Detroit River have now been installed.
  • With 116 of the 216 total stay cables connecting the towers and decks in place, the team is counting down the last 100 stay cables to be installed.
  • The fourth and final road bridge reconstructed as part of Michigan Interchange activities reopened in August connecting communities over I-75.
  • Since the official start of construction on October 5, 2018, over 10 million hours of work have been logged and over 10,000 people have been oriented to work on the project.

The project team is deeply appreciative of the communities on both sides of the border.

Residents have participated in surveys and meetings to express their opinions on design features, have helped shape Community Benefits Plan initiatives and have raised over 3,300 questions through our public inquiry channels. They are living through lane and road closures necessary to advance construction.

They are staying engaged on project progress with more than 321,000 video views in 2023 along with growing our followers on social media by 33% with Facebook alone seeing a 59.5% increase.

The communities’ enthusiasm for the project motivates and inspires all those working across the construction sites and corporate offices.

To mark the bridge towers reaching their full height, WDBA is introducing the first in a series of collectable patches to commemorate different project accomplishments. The project team will distribute these patches at community events.

Both Clark Park Coalition and Sandwich Teen Action Group have received funding through the Community Organization Investment, a Community Benefits Plan initiative. The call for 2024 funding proposals is anticipated to be released in November.

Image provided by Pont International Gordie Howe International Bridge

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