  The bridge site Nearly a decade of engineering study, legislative action in Lansing, Washington, Toronto, and Ottawa, and the sale of bonds to finance the project preceded construction of the bridge. Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams and Ontario Treasurer James N. Allen were the main participants in groundbreaking ceremonies for construction of the bridge on September 16, 1960. Bridge piers under construction Dr. Carl Gronquist of the consulting engineering firm, Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist and Birdsall, designed the two-mile long bridge supported on 62 piers that would cost $20,000,000. The Michigan State Highway Department agreed to construct the Michigan approach to the bridge, a project costing very close to $4,000,000, which was tied into the Interstate Freeway system and financed 90 percent by federal funds. The International Bridge Authority then proposed a bond issue of $16,250,000 to raise the remainder of the money. The issue was divided into $8,400,000 in Series A bonds to be sold on the New York market, and $7,850,000 in Series B bonds, all to be retired within 40 years from bridge revenues. To facilitate financing, the Province of Ontario bought the entire Series B bonds in one sale and thus guaranteed a quick sale for the Series A bonds in the United States bond market. The International Bridge was opened to traffic on October 31, 1962. Bridge span under construction |
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