Most international border checkpoints are purely utilitarian slogs of concrete, toll booths, and idling exhaust.
The new Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting Detroit, Michigan to Windsor, Ontario across the Detroit River, takes a distinctly different approach.
Designed by AECOM’s Erik Behrens, the 2.5-kilometer crossing is now the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America.
Funded entirely by the Canadian side, the bridge is a testament to timeless and smart engineering and design.
Key Design Details
- The Towers: The twin 720-foot (220-meter) A-frame towers are subtly curved to mimic a hockey stick mid-slapshot, a literal nod to Canadian icon and Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe.
- The Cables: 216 bright white stay cables support an 853-meter main span, creating a shifting moiré pattern against the sky as vehicles move past.
- Public Art: The site integrates Indigenous artwork by Walpole Island and Caldwell First Nation artists on the Canadian side, murals by Southwest Detroit artist Roberto Villalobos on the US side, and an Anishinaabe sculpture by Michael Belmore.
- Lighting & Access: Canadian artist Douglas Coupland designed Shimmer, an array of nearly 5,000 programmable white LEDs that light the deck at night. A dedicated multi-use path also allows pedestrians and cyclists to cross border-to-border.
The Canadian funded bridge has a projected 125-year lifespan, and connects I-75 directly to Ontario’s Highway 401.
It’s heavy infrastructure designed with rare aesthetic discipline.
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