‘Preferred’ border bridge bid revealed

OTTAWA— A consortium including Fluor Corp. and AECOM is the “preferred” bidder in a major new bridge project in the Detroit-Windsor corridor, a key artery for trade between the U.S. and Canada.

The Detroit-Windsor Bridge Authority, a Canadian government corporation, announced the winner Thursday morning. The financial details, including cost and construction schedule, for the Gordie Howe International Bridge are scheduled to be released in September.

The bridge authority didn’t specify the value of the contract, though the project was previously estimated at roughly $4 billion. The bid was selected over two others: one consortium led by SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. and another that included EllisDon Inc. The winning consortium, known as “Bridging North America,” includes AECOM, Fluor’s Canadian unit, ACS Infrastructure Canada Inc., RBC Dominion Securities Inc., DBi Services LLC, Dragados Canada Inc. and others.

“This is a project that successive governments of all stripes, on both sides of the border, have worked to achieve for many years,” Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi said in a statement.

The Canadian government is financing the bridge, which is supported by Michigan’s governor and other public officials but faces opposition from the owners of the existing Ambassador Bridge, the border’s busiest crossing.