New bridge connecting Detroit-Windsor to bear Howe's name

May 14, 2015 - 5:55 PM Detroit, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - In a joint announcement on Thursday, a new bridge which will connect the Detroit-Windsor area will bear the name of an all-time National Hockey League great.

Michigan governor Rick Snyder and Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper met in Windsor, Ontario to reveal the news that an additional crossing over the Detroit River will be named the "Gordie Howe International Bridge."

According to the Free Press, the cost of what was originally termed the "New International Trade Crossing" was set to be $2 billion. Canada will foot Michigan's share of the building costs after the state's legislature failed to pass approval on its construction, per the paper.

The 87-year-old Howe was born in Saskatchewan, but made a name for himself in Detroit. He spent the first 25 seasons of his storied five-decade playing career with the Red Wings, exiting the game as the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer and point producer.

The Detroit River, which separates the U.S. from Canada, is already crossed by the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, both of which were completed in the early 20th century.