Roads: Ambassador & Gordie Howe Bridges

[BurlOak]

I stand to be corrected, but when I show someone that intersection a few months ago, the bridge was built to the customs plaza that is still not built. The Google map say 2018, but more like a 2017 shot.

Regardless of this, look forward using that bridge in the coming years, since it will have quicker access I-75. You would use the Ambassador bridge to get to I-94 or elsewhere in Michigan. I use the tunnel for downtown Detroit.

Which bridge - the 401 over Ojibway Parkway, the Railway, and the other road?
They were adding preload (high mountains of dirt) so that the compressible soils underneath the bridge abutment and approaches would compress before the bridge is actually built. The embankment on the East side has already settled over 1m since the Herb Gray was built several years ago.
(The bridge contract was just awarded a couple of months ago.

 

[drum118]

Which bridge - the 401 over Ojibway Parkway, the Railway, and the other road?
They were adding preload (high mountains of dirt) so that the compressible soils underneath the bridge abutment and approaches would compress before the bridge is actually built. The embankment on the East side has already settled over 1m since the Herb Gray was built several years ago.
(The bridge contract was just awarded a couple of months ago.

Over the RR and Ojibway Parkway

Never took any photos like I have in the past.

 

[Johnny Au]

Regardless of this, look forward using that bridge in the coming years, since it will have quicker access I-75. You would use the Ambassador bridge to get to I-94 or elsewhere in Michigan. I use the tunnel for downtown Detroit.

What about the Bluewater Bridge (given that it connects to I-69)?

 

[gweed123]

What about the Bluewater Bridge (given that it connects to I-69)?

If I was going west to Chicago I'd take the Bluewater (just to avoid the 401, which is prone to delays, and the Windsor area). But if I was heading south, I'd definitely take the Gordie Howe over the Ambassador or the tunnel.

 

[drum118]

If I was going west to Chicago I'd take the Bluewater (just to avoid the 401, which is prone to delays, and the Windsor area). But if I was heading south, I'd definitely take the Gordie Howe over the Ambassador or the tunnel.

Yep!! That is the best and fast option

 

[ShonTron]

The Blue Water Bridge has its issues too. My favourite route has always been the tunnel - when the traffic is light, there's a great feeling of emerging out of the darkness into the middle of one of America's great skylines. If I'm driving, I'll pull off the highway to check the wait times in Ingersoll or London.

But if you have the time, the Sombra or Walpole Island ferries can be a really relaxing way of crossing the border.

 

[timio]

Sombra ferry is currently out of commission due to ice wrecking the causeway on the Canadian side this winter.

http://thesarniajournal.ca/sombra-ferry-owners-intend-to-restart-service-on-their-own/

 

[Johnny Au]

There's also the Pelee Island ferries that go between Leamington and Pelee Island and between Pelee Island and Sandusky, OH.

That ferry route is a very pleasurable way to go to the Cedar Point theme park from Ontario. Cedar Point is on a sand spit off Sandusky and its roller coasters are extremely hard to miss.

 

[ErieHall]

Canada's infrastructure minister, Mich. governor break ground on Gordie Howe International Bridge

Something I think is really interesting about the project, that hasn't been mentioned here yet, is that there will be a pedestrian/bike lane on the bridge.

 

[Kitsune]

Its kinda scary that the Infrastructure Minister does not want impacts the Tarriffs will have the bridge - ie how does the steel tarriffs impact concstruction.. which will use steel, lots of it.

 

[ErieHall]

Obama granted the project an exception to "Buy American" clauses in 2013 and as far as I'm aware Trump hasn't rescinded that exception. So they should be free to buy steel from whatever country they'd need to in order to avoid tariffs. Also I suppose if the project ended up importing US steel into Canada the tariffs they'd be paying would be to Canada.

In any case, hopefully the tariffs aren't going to last as long as the project will take to build.

 

[drum118]

No idea how much steel is going to be use in this bridge, but it will be a joint US/CAN operation since there is no fabricators in Canada that could do it by themselves. The most the best a fabricator could do these day in Ontario is about, 10,000 tons and there are only a few close to this size. There been a number of projects of large size that have been done as joint venture between 2 or 3 firms.

All the fabricators that could do 10-25,000 tons a year have all disappear by the early 2000 due to lack of work and small fabricators. Canron out of Toronto was the last to go and most of their work was in the US at the end that could do 25,000 tons a year. This applies to the whole of NA. In the US, a number of companies need 50,000 tons to keep their doors open and gone by the wayside, considering they build most their tall building out of steel while we use concrete. Even condos see steel framing and real odd to see.

Look forward to see this being built. Then onto the Ambassador bridge.

 

[salsa]

This saga just never ends. Lets see what happens.

 

[JasonParis]

In my opinion, one of the few good things Harper did. And that too *could* be eroded by Trump.

 

[Transportfan]

Still nothing!