$6.4 billion U.S.-Canada border bridge in Ontario lights up in dazzling display
The colossal new Gordie Howe International Bridge spanning the U.S.-Canada border between Ontario and Michigan crossed a significant milestone on Thursday night, when the new international crossing over the Detroit River was illuminated for the first time.
The public got a first glimpse at the promised after-dark aesthetic of this new record-holder for the longest cable-stayed bridge span in North America when its lighting was finally flicked on this week.
The bridge team shared photos of the accomplishment on social media, writing, "Did you notice the Gordie Howe Bridge was brighter last night? That's because the project team has started testing the bulbs that highlight the stay cables and bridge deck as part of aesthetic lighting."
Images show the lighting bathing the sprawling 2.5-kilometre-long structure's towers, cables, and road deck in a dramatic glow.
And the lighting testing this week is just a taste of things to come. Acclaimed Canadian artist and novelist Douglas Coupland's large-scale lighting installation for the bridge boasts almost 5,000 white lights capable of displaying a mix of "dynamic and static movement," allowing the bridge to shimmer and dance after dark.
Despite concerns about a delayed opening for the bridge, with no official date revealed as of late Sept. 2025, the powering-on of the structure's lighting this week has given the Detroit-Windsor area a breathtaking new visual focal point that will undoubtedly be an Instagram favourite in the months and years to come.
Gordie Howe International Bridge
