Howe bridge tower nearly as tall as Ren Cen

The tower on the Detroit side of the Gordie Howe International Bridge is now complete — and at 722 feet it rivals the Renaissance Center, the tallest building in the city, according to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which is overseeing construction of the bridge over the Detroit River.

The bridge, which will have no piers in the river, will be one of the largest stayed-cable bridges in North America.

The bridge will have two towers, one each in Detroit and Windsor. The towers have been under construction since 2019. The tower on the Canadian side of the bridge should be completed in September and will also rise to 722 feet. It will be the tallest structure in Windsor.

The Detroit tower likens the Renaissance Center’s central tower, with its 73 stories reaching 727 feet, according to the bridge authority.

The towers’ footing was completed in December 2020, and involved drilling six shafts for each tower, to a depth into the bedrock of 118 feet.

“We are exited to share the U.S. tower has reached its final height and the Canadian tower is nearing completion. These majestic towers have been the most visible and inspiring signs of progress representing a major step toward construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge,” said Chari van Niekerk, chief executive of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, in a news release Wednesday.

The towers house the anchor boxes that attach the stay cables from the towers to the bridge and road decks. Along with the stay cables, the towers provide the support system for the entire weight of the bridge and the load it will eventually carry.

Construction on the bridge began in 2019 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. It will be Detroit and Windsor’s second international bridge crossing, after the Ambassador Bridge. That 1.5-mile-long suspension bridge is privately owned.