Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder during an event celebrating the start of construction on a bridge between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit.
The work began Friday in Windsor on the Gordie Howe International Bridge. The Canadian-financed span over the Detroit River is expected to open in 2024.
The six-lane, cable-stayed bridge is expected to provide direct connections to highway networks in both cities. The corridor is the busiest commercial land crossing on the U.S.-Canada border, handling more than 30 percent of truck-hauled trade.
The privately owned Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel are the only current commuter crossings between the cities.
A groundbreaking ceremony for advance construction was held this summer in Detroit. The bridge is named after the late hockey legend.