The Gordie Howe International Bridge, which runs over the Detroit River between the US and Canada, met a major milestone on 9 July as construction crews connected the main span after more than five years of work.

The more than US$4.8-billion build has been plagued by cost and time overruns, but the end is finally in sight for the binational bridge build. While time overruns are still a concern, project leadership expect a functional state-of-the-art bridge by this time next year

Now connected, the Gordie Howe bridge has the longest main span (853m or 2,800 ft) of any cable-stayed bridge in North America, and the tenth longest globally. Once complete, the entire structure will stretch 2.5km (1.6 miles), and it will have the longest composite steel and concrete deck of any cable-stayed bridge.

Bridge construction is booming globally as countries bolster metro connections and modernise their ageing infrastructure, and the trend looks set to continue, reports Mitchell Keller.

With a high-volume of megaprojects developed and funded through 2023, projections for a productive 2024 regarding bridge builds have been true so far.

Driven by record government investment in bridge and transportation projects, the segment is buoyed by some of the biggest and most expensive bridge builds in human history.

Looking region by region, there are no laggards. North America – led by the US – is constructing billion-dollar bridges from coast to coast led by a transportation construction boom, China is breaking records in length and height, and Europe is implementing innovative methods for dense sites.