Final Steps In Gordie Howe International Bridge Tower Construction Underway
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The Canadian side.
Construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge is about to see some major changes.
The last concrete pour for the sloped architectural heads at the top of the pylon head is now complete, and the US tower has reached its full height of 220 metres/722 feet. Crews will now begin removing the jump form system.
These last steps are anticipated to begin at the Canadian bridge tower in September.
Forever changing the shared skyline between Windsor and Detroit, the towers have been under construction since 2019. Underground foundational work and the tower footings were completed in December 2020 and included six shafts per tower leg drilled into the bedrock to a depth of 36 metres/118 feet. Lower pylon construction was completed in March 2022. During this work, the muraled jump forms encased the tower legs, providing workers an enclosed environment while each leg rose to nearly 140 metres/460 feet. Following the construction of the upper cross beam that merged the tower legs into a single structure, work on the pylon head of the tower has been steadily progressing.
Removal of the jump form system involves a multi-step process lasting approximately four weeks. Crews will disassemble the jump forms by removing equipment, platforms and materials before a crane lifts away eight giant panels from the tower, one side at a time. The Gordie Howe International Bridge team is currently working with regional stakeholders to find a permanent home for the artwork.
While visually stunning, the bridge towers are integral to the cable-stayed design of the bridge. They house the anchor boxes that attach the stay cables from the towers to the bridge and road decks. Along with the stay cables, the towers provide the support system for the entire weight of the bridge and the load it will eventually carry.
