On today's Daily Detroit from the floor of the Detroit Policy Conference, we're digging into what it really took to get the Gordie Howe International Bridge this close to the finish line — and what it's going to mean for everyday life on both sides of the river later this year.​

I'm joined at the table by Michael Griffie, Detroit market leader for AECOM, one of the key firms behind the massive project.

We get into the nuts and bolts of a more than $4.5 billion, decade-in-the-making effort that doesn't just include the record-setting cable‑stayed span, but also the new U.S. and Canadian ports of entry and a rebuilt I‑75 interchange designed to keep trucks moving and out of neighborhoods.​

Griffie explains how engineers from two countries had to literally "meet in the middle," navigating different regulatory systems, a frozen global supply chain, and a pandemic — and still kept the delay to about a year.

We talk about what makes a cable‑stayed bridge different, why the 1.2‑mile span and 770‑foot pylons matter, and how much trade will roll across once it opens.​

There also will be a multimodal path that will let you bike or walk across the border — passport in hand — and the subtle design tribute to "Mr. Hockey" himself, with pylons that echo Gordie Howe's iconic stance on the ice.​

Plus, we touch on how Canada ended up fronting the money, why toll booths will all be on one side, and more.

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