The final stages of building the towers of the Gordie Howe International Bridge in Detroit and Windsor are about to get underway.

The tower’s legs, also known as the lower pylon, have reached their full height of 140 metres on both sides of the border, officials said Wednesday.

Now, the focus is shifting to construction on the upper portion, otherwise known as the pylon head. According to Bridging North America, this would entail adding another 80 metres to each pylon.

“It is an exciting time as the towers – arguably the most visible aspect of construction to date – move into the next and final build phase, said Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority CEO Bryce Phillips.

“With the towers currently standing at over two-thirds of their final 722 feet height, they represent the significant progress the project team has been able to achieve.”

During a virtual meeting Wednesday, bridge officials shed light on how the bridge project — and its surrounding areas including the Sandwich neighbourhood — will take shape.

Three kilometres of Sandwich Street will be reconstructed, from south of the Rosedale Avenue roundabout, past Ojibway Parkway to the former McKee Avenue.

As part of the reconstruction, which is targeted to begin this summer, the existing roadway and sidewalks will be replaced. Bicycle lanes, multi-use path and bumpouts at key intersections will also be added.

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