SwtM - Gordie Howe International Bridge Traditional Cache

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Hidden : 5/22/2019
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size: small (small)

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Geocache Description:




[2013 series / Michigan Bridges]
The Gordie Howe International Bridge, previously known during development as the Detroit River International Crossing and the New International Trade Crossing, is a project to build a cable-stayed bridge and border crossing across the Detroit River. The crossing will connect Detroit and Windsor by linking Interstate 75 and Interstate 96 in Michigan with the new extension of Highway 401 (called the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway) in Ontario. This route will provide uninterrupted traffic flow, as opposed to the current configuration with the nearby Ambassador Bridge, which connects to city streets on the Ontario side. The bridge will be named after Canadian ice hockey player Gordie Howe, who was best known for his tenure with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.

First proposed in 2004, the project was met with prominent opposition by Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel Moroun, who believed that competition from a publicly owned bridge would reduce his revenue. A Canadian federal Crown corporation, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, was established in 2012 to coordinate construction and management of the bridge. The project was approved by the United States government in April 2013. The following month, the Canadian government allocated $25 million to begin land acquisition on the Detroit side.

The project is underway, preparing the site for construction on both sides of the river and over $350 million has been spent on the project. In May 2018, the Ambassador Bridge owner failed in its appeal to stop expropriations in the Delray neighbourhood. Bridge construction started. The "Bridging North America" consortium was selected on July 5, 2018 to build the bridge. Minor construction started in July 2018 and major construction later that year. Workers broke ground on July 17, 2018. Construction is expected to be completed in 2024.

The project began as the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) in 2004, and received approvals in 2007 and 2008 with Ontario beginning Windsor–Essex Parkway construction in 2011. The highway, renamed the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway in December 2012, was completed in November 2015, although problems with several girders that were already installed forced a delay in the parkway's completion as the girders need to be replaced. The delay did not affect the bridge project's timetable.

In 2011, the bridge was tentatively scheduled for completion in 2016, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation. It was estimated that the bridge would generate $70.4 million in toll revenues in its first year of operation. The Michigan Senate's Economic Development Committee dealt the plan a setback by turning down a $550 million Canadian appropriation in October 2011, but an agreement announced June 15, 2012, ensured the project will proceed with the Canadian federal government funding bridge construction, land acquisition in Michigan and the construction of Interstate 75 on-ramps. The Canadian contribution will be repaid from bridge tolls collected on the Canadian side, and no tolls will be charged on the U.S. side. On April 12, 2013, the US Department of State and the Obama Administration granted Michigan the permit required to build the bridge, allowing construction to go forward once details were finalized.
Visit 14 geocaches in the SwtM series. At each geocache collect a letter and number combination. Insert them into the phrase: FiTS LIKe A GlOVE
Use the coordinates from the phrase to find the final geocache and become a Mitten Master
Tannery Falls S.S. Carl D. Bradley Fort Gratiot Lighthouse
Norway to Wakefield Gordy Howe Intl. Bridge ElvisFest
S.S. Chicora Jacob's Falls Fox Theater
Point Iriquois Lighthouse S.S. Badger ArtPrize
Grand Island Calumet Mitten Master

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

ybj

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)


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