U.S. and Canadian leaders celebrate milestone in Gordie Howe International Bridge construction

WINDSOR, Canada (CBS DETROIT) – American and Canadian leaders are celebrating a major milestone in the construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Now that the work to connect the bridge deck between Windsor and Detroit is complete, the span is an official border crossing.

"Canada and the United States can do big things we stand together. We do them together, and we rise together," said Irek Kusmierczyk, a Member of Parliament Windsor—Tecumseh, Ontario said during a news conference Wednesday.

The crossing is now the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America, ever since those two ironworkers shook hands on June 14, connecting the span.

"They're all so proud to be on this project and be a part of it. There were arguments about getting on this job right you guys wanted this project," said Ken Dombrow, president of Operating Engineers Local 324.

Leaders say workers have logged around 13 million hours since construction began in the summer of 2018 for a connection that will alleviate congestion for trade.

"This significant bottleneck and this connection carries about 30 percent of the freight traffic between our countries, and so it's a critical bottleneck, and if we can make it go faster, that's going to improve the economies for both countries," Shailen Bhatt, U.S. federal highway administrator, told CBS News Detroit.

In the coming months, there is plenty of work that still needs to be done

Crews continue to pour concrete for the Canadian and U.S. approach spans of the bridge, and electrical, fire, and drainage systems are being installed.

"Believe it or not we're still hiring people to help finish the final elements of the work," said David Henderson, CEO of Bridging North America.

The bridge was originally supposed to be completed by November 2024; however, the pandemic delayed the construction. The completion date is set for September 2025.