The American approach to the Gordie Howe International Bridge will soon become easier to navigate for pedestrians.
At a media event in Detroit Thursday, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) revealed an aesthetic design for five new pedestrian bridges over Interstate 75 in southwest Detroit. These bridges will be built into the overall work for the interchange connecting I-75 to the new bridge.
The design for the pedestrian bridges was unveiled after a three-month consultation period with residents in the neighbourhood that will anchor the U.S. side of the under-construction span. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, whose administration is continuing the work begun by predecessor Rick Snyder, called the pedestrian bridges an integral part of the project.
"The renderings of the new pedestrian bridges underscore that the community most directly impacted by the Gordie Howe International Bridge project will be among the truest beneficiaries," said Whitmer.
I-75 cuts southwest Detroit in half in an area spanning the Delray, Mexicantown, Briggs and Corktown neighbourhoods. The pedestrian bridges will span the freeway at Solvay, Beard, Waterman, Junction and Lansing Streets.
Eli Savit, chief counsel for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, said the overall project will be a huge boost for both Detroit and Windsor.
"This is the next stage in what is going to be a transformative project that will turbocharge the economies on both sides of the Detroit River, that will serve as an international symbol of cooperation and friendship, and that will transform the Detroit skyline," said Savit.
Work on the pedestrian bridges will be done in stages, beginning later this year and leading up to the planned completion of the span, set for the fall of 2024.
