With the Gordie Howe International Bridge inching closer to opening, the crews are shifting their focus away from major work.
Major construction on the span is complete, according to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA), and crews have moved on to the "testing and commissioning" phase of the mammoth project.
This process involves rigorous checking and rechecking of separate systems to ensure that they are up and running by the time the bridge welcomes its first vehicles.
"Testing and commissioning is led by the project team with support from contractors, suppliers, and the operating staff who will manage the crossing once it opens," read a release from the WDBA. "An independent third-party commissioning specialist is also engaged to review, oversee, and confirm that testing and commissioning activities are completed and aligned with technical requirements and standards as outlined in the Project Agreement."
Areas of the operation undergoing this rigid testing include customs processing, toll operations, traffic management, imaging, and security.
The first part of the commissioning process is a recheck of all installations to make sure they were built properly, followed by testing each system individually.
Once the project team and specialist are satisfied, the systems will be examined together to see how well they can communicate and operate seamlessly with each other.
When those tests are completed, the project team will run scenarios to gauge how everything responds to incidents such as crashes, bad weather, and peak traffic periods. The team will make adjustments where needed and document the results.
The bridge, jointly owned by the Canadian government and the State of Michigan, is pushing for a mid-year opening. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to block the opening, stating falsely that the bridge was being built with all Canadian materials.
