The Gordie Howe bridge is lit — and will only get brighter

You've been able to spot the Gordie Howe International Bridge during the daytime from kilometres away on either side of the border for some time.

Now, you're able see it at night, thanks to 164 streetlights that have been turned on for testing when the sun goes down.

The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the Crown corporation managing the megaproject, says testing began in late August and additional testing may occur over the next two weeks.

Eventually, the link will have an additional 5,000 aesthetic lights.

Canadian artist Douglas Coupland is handling the illumination of what's still to come. Some of his previous notable designs include the Northern Lights on Calgary's Telus Sky Tower and a War of 1812 memorial in Toronto.

An aerial view of the Gordie Howe International Bridge from the CBC tower cam in Windsor, Ont. (CBC)What the international crossing linking Detroit, Mich., and Windsor, Ont., is expected to look like once it's complete and all of the nighttime lights are activated. (Gordie Howe International Bridge project.)A nighttime rendering of the Gordie Howe bridge lit up from the Detroit River. (Gordie Howe International Bridge project)Traffic markings

Another sign the crossing is one step closer to eventually taking traffic is new line painting.

"These pavement markings map out the lanes and shoulders," said the group overseeing the bridge's construction in a Facebook post. 

The bridge will open with three lanes of traffic in either direction and include a multi-use path for bikes and walkers.

View from the deck of the Gordie Howe International Bridge as traffic lines and markings are being painted. (Gordie Howe International Bridge/Facebook)

Shovels hit the ground on the cable-stayed crossing in the summer of 2018.

It was originally slated to be open by the end of 2024.

That was since pushed back until the fall of 2025 — a timeline that now remains uncertain.

A report released earlier this year stated the crossing might not open until sometime in 2026; however, the bridge authority says it's too early to offer a specific date for when cars, trucks, bicycles and pedestrians will be allowed to cross.

Freshly painted lines on the Gordie Howe bridge are shown from an aerial view. (Gordie Howe International Bridge/Facebook)

On Monday, the WDBA said it's still too early to provide an opening date.

"We are committed to keeping everyone informed as we work toward the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge," Heather Grondin, chief relations officer for the WDBA, said in a statement. 

Gordie Howe Bridge audience-submitted snaps