Gordie Howe bridge to open this month despite Trump's threats

The Gordie Howe International Bridge, linking Canada and the United States, is set to open in June despite President Donald Trump's threats to block it, Reuters reported Monday.

A source told Reuters that an official ribbon-cutting ceremony is expected to take place this week.

Local Detroit media reported that vehicle traffic on the bridge will begin June 15.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge connects Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan. Construction began in 2018 at a total cost of $4.7 billion (7.15 trillion won).

Canada covered the full cost after the US refused to share expenses, and plans to recoup the investment through toll collection over 30 years. However, Michigan also holds a stake in the bridge alongside Canada.

A spokesperson for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said preparations for the opening are proceeding smoothly, with a target date of June 21 or earlier, adding that the bridge will serve as "a critical economic link between the two countries."

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told a Senate hearing last week that the department is fully prepared to staff the Gordie Howe bridge. The crossing is expected to ease truck congestion at the privately owned Ambassador Bridge, the main entry point into Detroit.

The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest commercial crossing on the US-Canada border. In 2023, commercial trucks passing through it carried $126 billion (approximately 192 trillion won) worth of trade.

A research report from the University of Windsor projects that the Gordie Howe bridge will cut border crossing times by 20 minutes and save the trucking industry $2.3 billion (approximately 3.5 trillion won) over 30 years.

In February, Trump threatened to block the bridge's opening, citing trade tensions with Canada. He claimed Canada had treated the US unfairly during construction and demanded that Canada hand over half its stake in the bridge and share operating revenues.