Gordie Howe International Bridge to Open on July 27

 

The federal government has announced that the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which connects Ontario and Michigan, will officially open on July 27. Canada and Michigan have reached an agreement to open the bridge to the public, with the support of the US government, the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities said in a press release. To ensure that both countries benefit from the bridge, Canada and the United States have agreed to take mutually beneficial measures on tolls and transparency. In addition, a share of the profits from the bridge will be used to establish a 15-year economic development fund for the development of border areas.

The six-lane, state-of-the-art cable-stayed bridge is built over the Detroit River between Windsor and Detroit, spanning approximately 2.4 kilometres. The bridge is named after the famous Canadian hockey player Gordie Howe, who played 25 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings. Construction of the bridge has been underway since 2018 with full financial support from Canada. The new toll bridge is expected to help ease severe traffic congestion on the existing Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

The opening of the bridge, which was previously scheduled for June 12, was postponed by Canada at the request of the United States. The opening was delayed due to trade disputes after US President Donald Trump demanded that half of the ownership of the new bridge be transferred to the US government and that Canada accept certain other demands. The new date has now been announced after negotiations between the two countries. The arrival of the new bridge will be a major boost to commercial trade and regional travel between the cities of Windsor and Detroit, which have been friendly for generations.