Canada to open Gordie Howe bridge July 27 after U.S. toll deal

Canada says it will seek U.S. concurrence on toll-rate changes

Canada announced Friday that the Gordie Howe International Bridge will open July 27, ending a dispute that had delayed the completed $4.4 billion span connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, for more than a month. The Canadian government said it had agreed to “a series of cooperative measures” on toll-rate adjustments and the creation of a 15-year regional development fund tied to a portion of bridge profits.

The announcement came hours after Mike Rogers, a Michigan Republican Senate candidate and former U.S. House member, told Detroit’s WJR radio that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had informed him a resolution was near. “This is getting wrapped up. That bridge is going to get open,” Rogers said.

The Canadian government’s statement laid out broad strokes of the agreement, including measures “focused on toll governance and transparency, 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.” The statement said the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority will “work collaboratively with the Government of the United States on toll-rate adjustments, seeking concurrence for certain non-market related toll changes.”

The agreement resolves a dispute — described by the Wall Street Journal as “at-times bitter” — that had turned the completed bridge into a flashpoint in broader U.S.-Canada trade tensions. President Donald Trump had threatened earlier this year to block the opening unless the U.S. received an ownership stake and compensation. The bridge, which Canada financed and jointly owns with Michigan, is considered vital to cross-border commerce.

The opening was postponed indefinitely on June 11, with a festive ribbon-cutting scheduled for June 12 canceled. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said last month that Canada agreed to delay the opening at the request of the Trump administration, describing the issues as technical.

Canada agreed last decade to finance the Gordie Howe Bridge, as policymakers viewed the new corridor as vital for its economic interests given the integration between the U.S. and Canadian economies. Construction began in 2018. The new bridge was expected to operate alongside the privately held Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Under the original pact, Canada would collect tolls from the bridge until its construction costs were paid off.

In a recent podcast interview, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra said the bridge’s construction under Canada’s watch came in over budget and behind schedule. Hoekstra said that undermined the original deal agreed to by Ottawa and Michigan about when the U.S. would begin receiving toll revenue, and therefore needed an adjustment.

Representatives for Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the bridge authority and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer did not respond to requests for comment, the Wall Street Journal reported.