Gordie Howe International Bridge and Montréal’s Place des Montréalaises earn international honours for innovation and excellence in concrete construction.
Gordie Howe International Bridge. (Photo: Courtesy of Windsor–Detroit Bridge Authority)
Two Canadian infrastructure projects recently earned international recognition at the 2026 American Concrete Institute (ACI) Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards, highlighting the country’s expertise in delivering complex concrete structures and urban infrastructure.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, and Place des Montréalaises in Montréal, Quebec, both secured second-place honours in their respective categories during the 12th annual awards ceremony, held at the Fall 2026 ACI Concrete Convention in Atlanta.
The awards recognize projects demonstrating innovation, technical excellence and advances in concrete design and construction.
Gordie Howe Bridge earns recognition
The $5.7-billion Gordie Howe International Bridge received second place in the Bridges category, recognizing one of North America’s most ambitious transportation infrastructure projects.
Connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, the 2.5-kilometre crossing features six traffic lanes and a toll-free multiuse path for pedestrians and cyclists.
The cable-stayed bridge, designed to become the longest of its kind in North America, features two inverted-Y towers rising approximately 220 metres above the Detroit River.
Delivered through a public-private partnership, the project represents a major investment in cross-border transportation infrastructure and demonstrates the engineering and construction capabilities required to execute large-scale bridge projects.
Montréal project recognized for urban transformation
Place des Montréalaises received second place in the Decorative Concrete category for its transformation of a prominent downtown Montréal site.
The project creates a connection between historic Old Montréal and the city’s downtown core, incorporating a distinctive sloped concrete plane as its defining architectural feature.
The development highlights concrete’s versatility in urban infrastructure, combining functional public space with architectural design.
Global recognition for concrete innovation
The Canadian projects were among 18 winners recognized across eight categories, including bridges, infrastructure, flatwork and repair and restoration.
The Grand Paris Express Line 18 Viaduct in France received the Overall Excellence Award for its use of lower-carbon concrete mixtures, self-consolidating concrete and precast construction techniques.
More than 30 industry experts participated in judging the international submissions.
For Canadian heavy civil contractors, the awards shine a light on the industry’s ability to deliver technically demanding infrastructure while advancing concrete construction practices at the same time.
Nominations for the 2027 awards close April 1, 2027.