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Michigan, Canada Plan Opening of Gordie Howe Bridge
Trump Threatened to Block Opening of the Span Across Detroit River
Key Takeaways:
- U.S. and Canadian officials plan a June 12 ribbon-cutting for the $4.6 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge linking Michigan and Ontario after years of construction.
- The bridge aims to ease trade congestion, especially for autos, and offers an alternative to the Ambassador Bridge, though political tensions and funding concerns cloud its launch.
- It is expected to open to traffic June 15, but uncertainty remains over U.S. support and unresolved issues raised by President Donald Trump.
Officials in the U.S. and Canada are planning a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the coming days for a new $4.6 billion bridge linking Michigan to the province of Ontario, which President Donald Trump threatened to block earlier this year.
The event with representatives from both countries will mark the completion of the Gordie Howe International Bridge over the Detroit River. The crossing has been under construction since 2018.
The Detroit News reported earlier that the ceremony is set for June 12 and that the bridge will open for traffic on June 15.
The bridge, named after the late Canadian hockey player who starred for the Detroit Red Wings, was built to reduce shipping congestion in a region that lives on trade — particularly for the automotive industry. It was paid for by Canada, which agreed to finance the crossing to create an alternative to the privately owned Ambassador Bridge.
“The project team is progressing well toward a spring opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will be a vital economic link between the two countries,” said a spokeswoman for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the agency that will operate the bridge. “Additional details will be shared in the coming days.”
In February, Trump said in a social media post that he wouldn’t allow the bridge to open until the U.S. was “fully compensated for everything we have given” Canada, “and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the fairness and respect that we deserve.”
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U.S. port of entry at the Gordie Howe International Bridge. (Gordie Howe International Bridge)
There has been no public sign that the issues Trump raised have been resolved to his satisfaction. The U.S. ambassador to Canada, Pete Hoekstra, told Detroit media in April that higher-than-expected costs and lower border traffic raised questions about whether Michigan would ever see its share of the proceeds.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment and it’s not clear whether it supports any opening.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking June 9 in Ottawa, hailed the bridge’s completion as “a symbol but also a fact of cooperation between between our countries.”
Carney said the bridge will be “open at the end of the week,” though he didn’t clarify whether that meant the ceremonial opening or the opening to traffic.
Trump’s February ultimatum followed a meeting between U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and the owners of the Ambassador Bridge.
Whitmer had direct talks with White House on bridge ribbon-cutting event https://t.co/NWAGO6rnMN — The Detroit News (@detroitnews) June 9, 2026
Long before Trump’s post, Canada and the state of Michigan agreed to share ownership of the bridge. The two parties are set to split revenue from bridge tolls once Canada has collected enough money to recoup its costs.
Border traffic has fallen partly because some Canadian travelers are staying away from the U.S., angered by Trump’s “51st state” rhetoric against their country, which the U.S. president recently revived.
Written by Thomas Seal, Josh Wingrove and David Welch
