Construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge has progressed to the point where high-tech operational elements are now getting the focus.
The installation of signage, electrical, and drainage systems is all underway along the bridge deck, along with operational elements like traffic management, customs information, and connectivity systems.
Chief Relations Officer for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, Heather Grondin, says there are so many behind-the-scenes activities taking place on the operations side.
"We need to make sure when someone drives up to the toll booth and their RFID tag is read, that information goes seamlessly from that camera to the traffic management centre to the toll maintenance centre, and that boom goes up," she says.
The Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority, which is managing the project for the Government of Canada, anticipates the bridge will open this fall.
While construction is expected to be completed before the anticipated opening, it will take several months to test and ensure all of the critical systems are fully operational.
Grondin says they are working to be one of the most technologically advanced crossings.
"We have a fire suppression system, as you know; we are able to accommodate oversized loads and hazardous materials, so we need to make sure the processes, should there be an incident, are working well. We have the lighting system; just from an aesthetic lighting perspective, there are over 5,000 lights on the bridge, and that doesn't include the traffic lights," she says.
The six-lane bridge will link a key commercial trucking trade route between Windsor and Detroit, connecting Highway 401 and Michigan's I-75.
Grondin says this just isn't a regular highway project; there is a huge operations component that needs to be installed and tested to ensure efficiency.
"We do have dynamic overhead signage for the lanes. What I mean by that is we will be able to use that to change the direction of the lanes. Let's say we have a very heavy commerical day going into the U.S., we'll be able to change to perhaps four lanes going into the U.S. and two to Canada, so it's that flexability," she says.
Work on the over $6 billion crossing began in 2018.