Canadian officials said the Gordie Howe International Bridge linking Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, is expected to open on July 27 after U.S. and Canadian officials reached an agreement resolving the dispute that delayed its debut.
"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."
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," and the delay followed President Trump's earlier threats to block the bridge's opening; commercial traffic is now expected to begin on July 27, though a date for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony has not yet been set.
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," Rogers said on WJR radio. "This is getting wrapped up. That bridge is going to get open."
The delay became an issue in one of the country's most closely watched Senate races, and 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 spans the Detroit River and connects the Motor City with Windsor, Ontario; it had been slated for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 12 before the postponement.
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, work began in 2018, and a Canadian official said the original deal stipulated that all toll revenue would go to Canada until it recovered approximately 6.4 billion CAD it cost to build the bridge; the toll bridge is jointly owned by Canada and Michigan and charges up to $10 per automobile and $20 per axle for commercial trucks, and it is expected to help ease congestion at the existing Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel.
Named after the late hockey great Gordie Howe, who spent 25 seasons leading the Detroit Red Wings, the bridge sits between neighborly Detroit and Windsor, where residents frequently cross for entertainment and shopping; Windsor's population in 2021 was about 230,000, and like Detroit the Canadian city's economy has a strong focus on manufacturing and the auto industry. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said, "The Gordie Howe International Bridge has always been a great deal for our state. 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.
The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said the U.S. and Canada agreed to a "series of cooperative measures" related to how tolls would be charged to drivers, and a Canadian official said both sides agreed that half of the net profit the bridge generates will go to a regional development fund and that the bridge authority will need U.S. approval before raising tolls by 10% or more or before cutting tolls below what is charged for comparable crossings.
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he "was able to cut a MUCH BETTER DEAL for America," called the original deal "unacceptable to me" and added, "The new deal is great, and fair. Thank you and congratulations to the Canadian Government. May we both have many years of success with this wonderful new development!!!"
Officials said the Gordie Howe International Bridge will become the fourth crossing between Detroit and Canada.
On June 11 the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said the U.S. and Canada had agreed to put off the opening to "resolve any outstanding issues."
Whitmer celebrated the opening of the bridge and did not mention Trump or the administration in her remarks.