Trump deal clears path for Gordie Howe bridge opening

Canadian officials confirmed the Gordie Howe International Bridge will open July 27, after a June 2026 ribbon-cutting was delayed. The six-lane crossing between Detroit and Windsor includes a multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists, and it was built to take pressure off a border crossing that has long slowed freight on both sides of the Detroit River.

The Windsor-Detroit corridor is the busiest international trade corridor in North America, and the bridge authority says it carries more than 25% of Canada-U.S. merchandise trade by value. For years, the aging Ambassador Bridge, opened in 1929 and privately owned, has handled a huge share of the traffic.

The project cost about C$6.4 billion and features a main span of 853 metres, the longest main span of any cable-stayed bridge in North America. Construction began in June 2018, and the two bridge decks were connected on July 24, 2024. The bridge stretches about 2.5 kilometres and includes one of the largest land ports of entry on the border, with a 53-hectare Canadian port of entry and a large U.S. facility designed to speed inspections and improve freight flow. It is expected to have the most lanes in the Windsor-Detroit corridor and to add redundancy to a crossing network that has been vulnerable to bottlenecks.

In October 2025, the project team said opening could come as soon as early 2026. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the delay came at the request of the United States as the two governments worked through outstanding issues. In Michigan and Washington, Democrats in Congress expanded probes into alleged ties between the Trump administration and Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun. Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office said the bridge was ready to open and would be critical for Michigan, while Michigan business and auto leaders warned that further delay could cost jobs and economic opportunities.