The Gordie Howe International Bridge, set to become one of the most important border crossings between the US and Canada, will enter service at the end of this month. Canada's Ministry of Infrastructure announced that an agreement has been reached, with the support of the US government, to open the bridge to traffic on July 27.
The ministry stated that the bridge, built over the Detroit River, will be a 'vital economic link' and is expected to generate billions of dollars in economic activity over the coming decades.
The project's opening had previously faced a threat of blockage from US President Donald Trump. In February, Trump said he would halt the opening, claiming the US was not getting a fair share from the project, and demanded at least 50 percent ownership. However, the President later announced on his Truth Social platform that a 'much better deal' had been reached, describing the new agreement as 'great and fair.'
The 2.4-kilometer bridge connects Detroit in the US with Windsor in the Canadian province of Ontario. Construction began in 2018, cost 4.5 billion US dollars, and was entirely financed by the Canadian government. Ownership of the bridge is shared between Canada and the state of Michigan.
The new bridge is expected to reduce congestion on the Ambassador Bridge, which has been the main commercial crossing between Detroit and Windsor for nearly a century, and to boost trade, particularly in the automotive and manufacturing sectors.
Officials reported that commercial truck traffic is expected to begin before August 1, while the date for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony has not yet been finalized.
The bridge is named after Canadian ice hockey legend Gordie Howe and references the historical and economic ties between the two countries.
