"Gently curving" Gordie Howe International Bridge opens between US and Canada
A bridge with towers informed by a hockey slapshot has opened to public traffic between the United States and Canada after more than seven years of construction, decades of planning and a contentious back-and-forth with the federal government.
Named after Canadian-born Detroit Red Wings hockey player Gordie Howe, the bridge stretches over the Detroit River between the city of Detroit and Windsor, Canada.
It is "the first new crossing between Ontario and Michigan in over 60 years", according to the organising body the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA).
WDBA coordinated the project, while design was led by AECOM.
On either side, the project includes border inspection facilities for travellers, while a toll-free multi-use pedestrian path stretches its length.
In total, it encompasses six bridge lanes, 16 toll lanes and 60 Canada and US inspection lanes.
Upon its completion, its main span is "the longest of any cable-stayed bridge in North America" according to WDBA, and its 720-foot-tall (220-metre) towers are among the tallest structures in the region.
AECOM bridge architect Erik Behrens, who was one of the first to drive across the bridge during opening ceremonies on 27 July 2026, said the towers' curves were designed to recall the arc of Howe's hockey stick mid-slapshot.
"The bridge's aesthetic appeal lies in the extreme slenderness of its gently curving deck,” said Behrens. "Together with the stay cables, it creates an impression of gravity- defying lightness and transparency."
Along with spanning a major trade route between Michigan and Ontario, the project now includes the largest ports of entry along the Canada-US border, according to the team.
This has made the project a complex and political saga over the years, following its initial planning stages that started in the 2000s.
Most recently, US president Donald Trump has been attempting to block its opening after demanding that Canada hand over additional ownership of the bridge to the US, detail in a Truth Social post. It's currently jointly owned between Canada and Michigan, although Canada agreed to front the cost for construction.
In an original 2012 crossing deal, the two bodies agreed toll fees would go to Canada once the debt had been recouped; however, amidst Trump's outburst and threat of imposing tariffs, the deal structure is being relitigated.
The drama also caused Canada to disinvite the US from the bridge's opening ceremonies on Friday, 24 July, causing further tension.
However, the WDBA remained committed to opening the bridge to traffic on Monday, and for now, it's in use.
Elsewhere around the world, Finland's longest bridge was completed in Helsinki and Italy's former head of motorways was sentenced to 12 years in prison over a bridge collapse in Genoa.
The photography is courtesy of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority.
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