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A completed bridge linking Detroit and Canada is expected to open on July 27 after U.S. and Canadian officials reached an agreement to resolve the dispute that delayed its debut, according to Canadian officials.
A spokesperson for Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada confirmed to CBS News Detroit the bridge’s opening date.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for early June was postponed after the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said the two countries needed more time to resolve “outstanding issues.” The delay followed President Trump’s earlier threats to block the bridge’s opening.
Commercial traffic is now expected to begin on July 27, according to officials, though a date for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony has not yet been set.
“Today, Canada and Michigan have agreed to open the Gordie Howe International Bridge on July 27, with the support of the United States Government,” a spokesperson for Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada said. “The bridge will be a major economic driver in the region and will also provide options for commuters, tourists, and businesses.”
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers referenced the deal during an interview Friday.
“I had a conversation with the secretary yesterday, Secretary of Commerce Lutnick, and the deal will be announced in the next few days,” Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers said Friday on WJR radio. “This is getting wrapped up. That bridge is going to get open.”
The delay in opening the Gordie Howe International Bridge became an issue in one of the country’s most closely watched Senate races. Democratic candidate Mallory McMorrow, who has since dropped out, tried to turn the controversy into a political liability for Mr. Trump and Republicans.
The 1.5-mile-long bridge, which spans the Detroit River and connects the Motor City with Windsor, Ontario, was slated for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 12. It was abruptly postponed after officials said the U.S. and Canada were still working to resolve “outstanding issues.”
The dispute gave Democrats a rare opportunity to tie Mr. Trump directly to a project with visible economic consequences in a battleground state.
In February, Mr. 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.
Canada financed the bridge’s construction. The project was negotiated by Rick Snyder, the former Republican governor of Michigan, and work has been underway since 2018. The cost has been close to $4.4 billion.
Named after the late Canadian hockey great Gordie Howe, who spent 25 seasons leading the Detroit Red Wings, the bridge is expected to be another vital economic artery between Canada and the United States.
The toll bridge, jointly owned by Canada and Michigan, charges up to $10 per automobile and $20 per axle for commercial trucks. It is expected to help ease congestion at the existing Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Work has been underway since 2018.
Detroit and Windsor have been neighborly for generations, with residents in both countries frequently crossing the shared river border for entertainment and shopping. Windsor’s population in 2021 was about 230,000. Like Detroit, the Canadian city’s economy has a strong focus on manufacturing and the auto industry.
“The Gordie Howe International Bridge has always been a great deal for our state,” said Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “Thousands of Michigan workers built this critical bridge, which will speed up auto production, lower costs, ease traffic, strengthen agriculture, and give people on both sides of the border better-paying jobs and brighter futures. I’m proud to have fought for its opening and congratulate my partners who have worked on this issue alongside me for years.”
Commercial trade between the two cities has primarily been across the nearly century-old, privately owned Ambassador Bridge, which is closer to downtown Detroit than the Gordie Howe Bridge.
