Gordie Howe Bridge opening delayed to resolve ‘outstanding issues’: bridge authority

OTTAWA — The opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge has been delayed as the relationship between Canada and the United States continues to be upended by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The interim chief executive of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said Thursday that Canada and the U.S. have agreed to a delay as the two countries attempt to “resolve any outstanding issues.”

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday the bridge would be open by the end of the week. But he changed his message on Wednesday, saying there was “no big drama” surrounding the project, but if it “takes a little longer, it will take a little bit longer.”

Invitations had already been sent out for a ribbon cutting event on Friday to mark the opening of the $6.4-billion bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens had said there were rumours it would be open to traffic on Monday.

The opening was put into question earlier this week after White House officials said Trump had not changed his position since February, when the president posted on social media that the U.S. would need to be compensated before he would allow the bridge to open.

The White House has not yet responded to questions about whether the Trump administration intervened in the planned Friday event.

The Gordie Howe Bridge is co-owned by the governments of Canada and Michigan. Canada agreed to shoulder the cost of construction and recoup its investment through tolls, after which the money would be split with the state.

“Although we would all like the Gordie Howe Bridge to open, Canada need not fall on bent knee to make it happen. Get us a great trade deal (Carney)!” Dilkens wrote in a statement shared on social media Thursday morning.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office said Thursday the bridge will be critical for the state. In an emailed statement, her office said the bridge is “ready thanks to extraordinary men and women on both sides of the border, and we look forward to its opening.”

“Michigan secured a great deal on the financing of this bridge: we haven’t paid a dime, yet we will reap significant economic benefits for decades,” the statement said. “This project is a powerful example of bipartisan and international co-operation, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon cutting ceremony when it happens.”

A Canadian source with knowledge of the planning — who is not authorized to speak publicly about it — said all signs the federal government received indicated the bridge was cleared to open.

The source said the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority — a Canadian Crown corporation responsible for the construction and administration of the bridge — has all the technical approvals it needs to proceed.

The bridge has faced significant pushback from members of the Moroun family, who own the competing Ambassador Bridge. House Democrats in Washington are looking into whether members of the billionaire family, who have long been major Republican donors, acted to obstruct the new bridge.

The New York Times reported that Matthew Moroun had a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just before Trump’s social media post attacking the project.

It’s not clear whether the Trump administration has thrown the bridge opening into larger negotiations with Canada on a critical continental trade pact. Trump said Wednesday he was “not looking to renew” the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade, known in Canada as CUSMA.

Trump himself endorsed the bridge project during his first term.

The Detroit News reported Thursday that U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said he and Lutnick were leading discussions on the bridge opening.

— With files from Kelly Malone in Washington.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 11, 2026.