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The Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Ontario to Michigan will open July 27, the federal government has confirmed.
Canada and Michigan agreed on Friday to open the bridge with the support of the United States government, according to a news release issued just after 7 p.m. by the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities.
“To support this opening and ensure that benefits are felt on both sides of the border, Canada and the United States have agreed to a series of cooperative measures focused on toll governance and transparency,” the release said.
“[As] well as investments in the region, including through the establishment of a 15-year economic development fund tied to a portion of profits from bridge operations.”
WATCH | Opening date set for Gordie Howe International Bridge:
Gordie Howe bridge set to open by end of July: sources
A deal to open the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich., has been finalized between Canada and the U.S. and it will open by the end of July, confirm two sources.
“The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority will also work collaboratively with the government of the United States on toll-rate adjustments, seeking concurrence for certain non-market related toll changes.”
The six-lane cable-stayed bridge extends approximately 2.4 kilometres across the Detroit River between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich.
It is named after the late Canadian hockey great Gordie Howe, who spent 25 seasons leading the Detroit Red Wings.
Work on the bridge has been underway since 2018, with Canada financing construction.
A ribbon-cutting that was previously scheduled for Friday, June 12 was postponed earlier that week.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said on June 11 that the bridge opening was delayed at the request of the United States and that Canada had “agreed to delay the opening and take the necessary time to resolve outstanding issues.”
In February, U.S. President Donald Trump demanded in a social media post that Canada hand over at least half ownership of the new bridge to the U.S. government and accept other unspecified demands, part of his broader clashes with Canada over trade.
WATCH | The Gordie Howe International Bridge will still cost $6.4 billion:
$6.4B price tag for Gordie Howe bridge has not gone up, even with delays: WDBA
Although the $6.4 billion cost to Canadian taxpayers for the Gordie Howe International Bridge dates back to 2024, the figure is still the same today, even with the opening delays, according to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. CBC Windsor’s Emma Loop explains why.
The toll bridge, jointly owned by Canada and Michigan, is expected to help ease congestion at the existing Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor tunnel.
Detroit and Windsor have been neighbourly for generations, with residents in both countries frequently crossing the shared river border for entertainment and shopping.
Commercial trade between the two cities primarily has been across the nearly century-old and privately-owned Ambassador Bridge.