Gordie Howe International Bridge to Detroit to open this week, Carney says

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The Canadian-built Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Windsor, Ont., and Detroit is set to open shortly despite efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to block it, adding an extra crossing at one of the busiest trade conduits between Canada and the United States.

The new span is expected to set up a toll price war with the existing Ambassador Bridge, to the benefit of users, as both operators try to attract traffic.

The timing of the Gordie Howe bridge’s debut was thrown into doubt in February, when Mr. Trump threatened in a social-media post to prevent it from opening. He made a series of demands, including that Ottawa grant Washington half ownership of the structure, which was paid for by Canada and is jointly owned with the state of Michigan. Ottawa has not agreed to his requests.

Mr. Trump has not publicly reversed himself, but on Tuesday Prime Minister Mark Carney and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens both said they expected the bridge to open by the end of the week.

However, Mr. Dilkens and others acknowledged that the event could be delayed again if Mr. Trump made a late intervention.

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The bridge’s opening would be a rare example of progress in Canada-U.S. relations these days, as Canadian steel, aluminum, autos and lumber remain under protectionist U.S. levies and negotiations over the renewal of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which governs continental trade, progress slowly.

Mr. Carney told reporters Tuesday the bridge will open “at the end of this week” and called it a symbol “of co-operation between our countries.” He predicted it would be great for cross-border travellers and for Canada-U.S. commerce.

This would mean three bridge crossings operating between Southwestern Ontario and the U.S.: the privately owned Ambassador Bridge and the new Gordie Howe International Bridge, both connecting Windsor to Detroit, and the Blue Water Bridge linking Sarnia to Port Huron, Mich.

Mr. Dilkens said in an interview that he expects there will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday at Gordie Howe with a formal bridge opening likely Monday.

He acknowledged, however, that Mr. Trump could still present an obstacle. “Fingers crossed that there’s no Truth Social post between now and then,” Mr. Dilkens said, referring to the U.S. President’s habit of using his own social-media network to issue edicts and attacks.

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford also voiced hesitancy about the bridge during a trip to Washington Tuesday, telling reporters he was “hearing two stories” on its future. “Let’s see if it opens or not. Hopefully it will.”

A source familiar with the matter said Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer played a major role in helping the bridge opening move forward despite Mr. Trump’s opposition to the project. The Globe is not identifying the source because they are not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Mr. Trump’s February threat to block the opening of the bridge was met with a muted response in Ottawa, which at the time was attempting to restart trade negotiations with the Trump administration. The day after Mr. Trump made his threat, Mr. Carney told reporters that he’d had a positive conversation with the President.

On the same day, The New York Times, citing unnamed government officials, reported that Matthew Moroun, a member of the family that owns the competing Ambassador Bridge, had lobbied Mr. Trump’s Commerce Secretary only hours before the President made his social-media post about the Gordie Howe bridge.

The $6.4-billion Gordie Howe bridge project was begun under former prime minister Stephen Harper as a means to ease congestion and provide another crossing option along the most important trade artery between Canada and the United States.

Under the 2012 Canada-Michigan Crossing Agreement, the Gordie Howe Bridge is to be publicly owned by the governments of Canada and Michigan. The bridge is operated by the Government of Canada through the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, a not-for-profit federal Crown corporation. Ottawa will recoup the cost of building the bridge through tolls collected on the Canadian side.

The Moroun family has long opposed the construction of the Gordie Howe bridge. As the Detroit Free Press wrote in 2018, the Ambassador Bridge owners have told Mr. Trump and others in Washington and Michigan that “a Canadian-built, Canadian-financed rival bridge makes no economic sense, violates the law and will unfairly hurt its business.”

Stephen Laskowski, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, said his members estimate the Gordie Howe bridge’s opening will bring savings of between $20,000 and $100,000 a month through operational efficiencies, including shorter wait times.

That includes the fact that inspection facilities for traffic on the new bridge are more convenient and its highway connections are speedier.

“For the first time in that Windsor-Detroit corridor, we’re going to have highway-to-highway connections, from Ontario’s 401 to the U.S. I-75 – so no more 10 traffic lights,” he said.

Flavio Volpe, president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association, a Canadian business group, predicted the Gordie Howe bridge and Ambassador Bridge will end up competing for business with toll-price cuts. His membership relies on cross-border transits.

Mr. Volpe said he is betting the Ambassador Bridge will find ways to retain traffic.

“This new bridge is very good for competition,” he said of Gordie Howe. “We may in fact see improvements in Ambassador Bridge operation and pricing and the auto sector will pick the best option for their cost pressures.”

Dennis Darby, president and CEO at Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, said while trade with the U.S. is down marginally because of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods, it’s as important as ever to move goods efficiently between countries.

There is binational oversight over the bridge. The International Authority – a joint Canada-Michigan body – monitors the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority for compliance with the 2012 Crossing Agreement, but holds no ownership, veto or operational control.

The bridge is named after Canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe, who played for the Detroit Red Wings for 25 seasons.