How Is Work Progressing on the Gordie Howe Bridge?
MDOT’s director gives an update of the bridge
The Detroit Today team had lots of conversations with elected officials and policymakers while on Mackinac Island, in the shadow of one of the country’s finest pieces of infrastructure; the Mackinac Bridge. WDET producer Laura Weber-Davis was curious about the current status of a bridge located a bit closer to home, the second bridge planned to be built between Detroit and Windsor, so named the Gordie Howe Bridge. She spoke with Michigan Department of Transportation Director Kirk Steudle about the publicly funded bridge span.
“It’s moving along, everyone wishes it would go faster,” says Steudle.
Steudle says he’s unsure of the status of the Ambassador Bridge company’s desire to also have an additional bridge between Detroit and Windsor. Members of the Canadian government have repeatedly asserted its disinterest in working with the owners of The Bridge Company. Steudle says the publicly funded bridge scheduled to be built will help with overuse of the Ambassador Bridge, which is 80 years old and has long-rumored structural deficiencies.
“At the end of the day it’s about redundancy and getting that additional capacity up,” says Steudle. “If something should happen to the existing bridge, [that] certainly is a concern.”
