The Gordie Howe International Bridge is almost open – here’s the lowdown on its design
The design team behind the Gordie Howe International Bridge, the new border connection between Detroit in the US and Windsor in Canada, tell us of their hope and ambition for the region’s elegant new piece of infrastructure
When it opens, the new Gordie Howe International Bridge is set to become an important addition to North America's network of busy land border crossings. Named after Canada-born Detroit Red Wings hockey player Gordie Howe, this piece of architectural infrastructure looks elegant, almost ethereal, from afar – and up close, its dynamic form appears sculptural, designed to delicately guide traffic through a subtly shifting moiré effect.
Delivered by client WDBA – the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority – to connect Detroit, Michigan (USA) and Windsor, Ontario (Canada), the project looks sharp and modern (and it's currently getting ready for an imminent opening by the US and Canadian governments). It also aims to become far more than a piece of smart (and smart-looking) bridge design.
Explore the new Gordie Howe International Bridge
Its architect, Erik Behrens, explains that the Gordie Howe International Bridge was not created to just carry the traffic from A to B. It will also accommodate broader border facilities, such as a customs plaza and more – these operations and traffic are currently being stress-tested ahead of its official opening to the public. Many of its facilities are 'hidden' within its slender form to avoid detracting from the bridge's inherent sculptural effect.
'The bridge was designed to do more than move people – it creates a shared civic experience at the scale of a city,' Behrens said. 'Bridges, transit, towers, and large urban systems must do more than function – they must belong, endure, and inspire.'
Howe, who lent his name to the project, is also referenced in the design, which is composed as a slender construction of cables and tower legs – the latter poetically resembling the curvature of the athlete's hockey stick mid-slapshot. Its subtly curved bridge (an 853m main span, the longest in North America) connects to ultra-light stay cables whose size and crisp white colour make them appear almost transparent and gravity-defying.
AECOM was the engineering practice and is the design lead for Bridging North America (BNA), WDBA’s private-sector partner – and they were instrumental in making the Gordie Howe International Bridge's slender form a reality. The bridge was conceived to be high-performing, with a projected 125-year lifespan to ensure its durability.
'It turns mobility infrastructure into a shared civic experience – where movement becomes meaningful, strengthening connection and rekindling a sense of collective pride. Through elegance, technical rigour, and enduring purpose, the bridge emerges as both contemporary infrastructure and a work of civic art,' Behrens explained.
The set of twin 220m towers and their fan-shaped cables look majestic, marking this important gateway across the river between the two sport-loving countries. 'The bridge captivates through a precise interplay of form, light and movement,' Behrens added. 'Its paired arrays of white stay cables produce a subtly shifting moiré, endowing the structure with a quiet kinetic elegance and a sculptural depth that reveals itself from every angle.'
Behrens worked with Canadian visual artist, designer and writer Douglas Coupland on the bridge's lighting art installation. Coupland (the project's lighting artist – RBLD acted as the lighting designer) created a spectacular show using almost 5,000 white bridge lights to creatively illuminate the structure. He said: 'It’s a relief to see infrastructure that feels like it belongs to this century. There’s a generosity to Detroit right now – you can feel the future being tested in real time.' (We agree – and named Detroit our City of the Year at the 2026 Wallpaper* Design Awards.)
'I’ve somehow become a person who arranges light into sentences. This was unexpected,' the writer added.
Originally set to open this spring, the bridge doesn't have an official launch date yet – due to the aforementioned final checks, yes, but also because the bridge has been part of political movements around trade negotiations between the US and Canada. The project was paid in full upfront by Canada and is co-owned by the Government of Canada and the State of Michigan.
When it does open, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will no doubt become an important vehicle for trade between the two neighbouring countries – while also paying tribute to the 'hockey-loving nations who share this great man’s sporting legacy', its creators highlight.
gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com
