Gordie Howe bridge contract announced at $5.7B

OTTAWA — The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) has announced financial close on the contract to build the Gordie Howe International Bridge, revealing the value of the build to be $5.7 billion.

The WDBA’s announcement on Sept. 28 represents the completion of the procurement process for the bridge project, and full construction can officially begin, said a release.

The winning team had been announced in July. Bridging North America, with Aecon Group and Aecom among its members, will undertake the design-build phase and the 30-year operation, maintenance and rehabilitation (OMR) phase.

Other members of the consortium include ACS Infrastructure Canada, Dragados Canada, Fluor Canada, RBC Dominion Securities, Carlos Fernandez Casado and FHECOR Ingenieros Consultores S.A., Moriyama & Teshima, and Smith-Miller+Hawkinson Architects.

In 2016 the value of the build was pegged at $4.8 billion in the government’s long-term fiscal framework.

The contract covers the design and construction of the project and financing costs in addition to the OMR phase. Advance construction on the U.S. side of the project as well as preparatory work on the Canadian side have already begun and the bridge is expected to be operational by the end of 2024, the statement said.

In addition to the contract value, Canada spent $559 million from 2006 to March 31, 2018 on preparatory works and procurement. The WDBA is a Canadian crown corporation and the federal government is financing the project.

The project includes construction of a six-lane, cable-stayed bridge 853 metres long and approaches for a total length 2.5 kilometres, Canadian and U.S. ports of entry including approach bridges, border inspection plazas and tolling operations on the Canadian side, and a Michigan interchange connecting Interstate 75 to the U.S. port of entry.

“Together with our partners, Aecon looks forward to working with the WDBA to deliver this vital infrastructure project for Canada and the United States, creating lasting positive benefits for all stakeholders,” said Jean-Louis Servranckx, Aecon president and CEO, in the statement.