Bridge connecting Canada and US set to open mid-June despite threats from Trump

WASHINGTON — A new $4.7 billion bridge linking Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, is expected to open in the coming weeks, according to the bridge authority, despite earlier threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to block its inauguration.

A formal ribbon-cutting ceremony is anticipated later this week, according to a source familiar with the matter. Local media reports indicate the Gordie Howe International Bridge could open to traffic as early as June 15.

In February, Trump suggested he might prevent the bridge from opening, citing Canada’s trade policies, including restrictions on certain U.S. alcoholic beverages in Canadian stores, tariffs on dairy products, and ongoing trade tensions involving China.

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, nor did a spokesperson for Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The Canadian Embassy in Washington also declined to comment.

A spokesperson for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said construction teams are progressing toward an opening target of June 21, describing the project as a “vital economic link between the two countries.”

Construction on the bridge began in 2018 and was financed by Canada after the United States declined to contribute funding. The project will be repaid over time through toll revenues collected over a 30-year period.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said during a recent Senate hearing that the department is “good to go” in staffing the new crossing.

The bridge is expected to ease congestion at the privately owned Ambassador Bridge, the busiest freight border point between the United States and Canada. It handles billions of dollars in commercial truck trade annually.

Officials say the new crossing will reduce travel time by about 20 minutes, generating significant cost savings for trucking operators over the coming decades, according to a University of Windsor study.

Trump has repeatedly raised trade tensions with Canada during his second term, including threats of higher tariffs and restrictions on cross-border industrial and aerospace trade. Some of those measures were later rolled back following compliance actions by Canadian authorities. -Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Sonali Paul/Reuters