New Bridge Aims to Streamline Auto Industry Supply Chain
The new Gordie Howe bridge links Detroit and Windsor, ON. Photo courtesy Gordie Howe International Bridge
DETROIT—A new suspension bridge named after a hockey icon that is opening here today should vastly improve the supply chain in the North American auto industry. The much-anticipated Gordie Howe International Bridge linking I-75 in the Motor City with Highway 401 in Windsor, ON, is expected to streamline border crossings of parts and components.
The state-of-the-art, six-lane, cable-stayed structure will give automakers and suppliers a much-needed alternative to the four-lane Ambassador Bridge. That 97-year-old structure is privately owned by a billionaire who is friendly with Donald Trump (one reason why the bridge has been used as a bargaining chip in his insane trade war with Canada).
The long-delayed $6 billion Gordie Howe project is expected to ease congestion at one of the world’s busiest border crossings, which is used by millions of trucks annually. According to experts, the new 1.5-mile-long bridge will eliminate a bottleneck and save more than 420,000 hours per year.
Ford Motor Co., General Motors, Stellantis and other automotive companies have operated assembly plants on both sides of the Detroit River for decades, with a steady stream of semitrailers traveling back and forth daily.
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