Building the Bridge

"Building the bridge" means more than placing steel. Before you build a bridge it needs a foundation to stand on. The entire bridge is supported by 38 concrete piers constructed on a total of 31 miles of foundation piles sitting on bedrock 103 feet below the surface. The Michigan approach deck is supported on a series of concrete beams with a single span of steel beams. The Ontario approach deck is formed on top of a series of steel and concrete tub-shaped girders.

The Blue Water Bridge international border crossing is a key link between the world's two greatest trading partners. The bridge is centrally located on the eastern border area between the U.S. and Canada, through which 80% of the trade between the two countries passes. It is strategically placed on the major trade and transportation corridors linking Michigan and Ontario. The Port Huron/Sarnia area is directly accessible via freeways I-94, I-69, and Highways 402/401.

The total volume of vehicles using the Bluewater Bridge more than doubled in the 1980s. By 1991 yearly volumes passed the six million mark with trucks amounting to 12% of all users. By 1995, truck usage had increased to over 20% of all traffic and continues to increase.

Once finished, the Blue Water Bridge crossing will offer congestion-free access and state-of-the-art, on-site facilities including: more than doubling the number of toll booths (both commercial and automobile), major expansion of commercial warehousing, border broker capacity and truck storage areas. Extensive on-site support facilities are also available, such as, the agriculture Canada Inspection Station, Blue Water Bridge Duty Free Shop and Currency Exchange.