The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) announced the first stage in the procurement process to select a private sector partner that will serve as the primary contractor for building and operating the new Gordie Howe International Bridge .
Respondents will be evaluated on their experience and qualifications to deliver and finance large and complex infrastructure projects, according to WDBA. Following a rigorous evaluation process, they will be invited to participate in the second stage of the procurement process, the request for proposals, expected in late 2015.
Plans call for the bridge linking Windsor with Detroit to be completed in 2020.
“We anticipate international interest in this seminal project given the immense popularity of best-in-class global infrastructure assets, and look forward to seeing what the private sector has to offer,” said Mark McQueen, chairman of the WDBA board of directors. “Our overarching goal is to build a safe, efficient bridge as fast as possible. The more financial and project risk that we can transfer to the eventual winning bidder, the better this procurement will be for Canadian taxpayers.”
