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The Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Ontario to Michigan will open July 27, the federal government has confirmed.
Canada and Michigan agreed on Friday to open the bridge with the support of the United States government, according to a news release issued just after 7 p.m. by the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
“The bridge will be a major economic driver in the region and will also provide options for commuters, tourists, and businesses,” the announcement read.
“A product of sustained collaboration over the past decade, the bridge will strengthen North American supply chains, support manufacturing, and improve the movement of essential goods.”
A ribbon-cutting for the bridge that was previously scheduled for Friday, June 12 was postponed earlier that week.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said on June 11 that the bridge opening was delayed at the request of the United States and that Canada had “agreed to delay the opening and take the necessary time to resolve outstanding issues.”
In February, U.S. President Donald Trump demanded in a social media post that Canada hand over at least half ownership of the new bridge to the U.S. government and accept other unspecified demands, part of his broader clashes with Canada over trade.
U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra joined a Canadian podcast this week and was asked about the Gordie Howe International Bridge. He said the business model surrounding the multi-billion dollar bridge has changed, and argued that it’s a “big myth” that Canadian taxpayers paid for the new crossing. The CBC’s Emma Loop breaks it down.
The 2.4-kilometre-long bridge, which spans the Detroit River, is named after the late Canadian hockey great Gordie Howe, who spent 25 seasons leading the Detroit Red Wings.
The project was negotiated by Rick Snyder, the former Republican governor of Michigan, and work has been underway on it since 2018.
Canada financed construction of the bridge.
The toll bridge, jointly owned by Canada and Michigan, is expected to help ease congestion at the existing Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel.
Detroit and Windsor have been neighborly for generations, with residents in both countries frequently crossing the shared river border for entertainment and shopping. Like Detroit, the Canadian city’s economy has a strong focus on manufacturing and the auto industry.
Commercial trade between the two cities primarily has been across the nearly century-old and privately-owned Ambassador Bridge, which is closer to downtown Detroit than the Gordie Howe Bridge.
