Canada inaugurates new bridge to US amid tariff tensions with Trump
Canada is set to mark the opening of a major new bridge linking the country with the United States, even as trade tensions with President Donald Trump cast a shadow over the celebrations.
Officials gathered in Windsor, Ontario, on Friday ahead of the official opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge to traffic on Monday. The bridge, which crosses the Detroit River, is expected to boost trade between the two countries and provide travelers with an additional border crossing.
The event was originally planned as a joint ceremony on the bridge with officials from both Canada and the United States. However, Canada decided against the joint celebration after Trump unexpectedly announced this week a 50% tariff on Canadian goods entering the US.
“It’s regretful that we’re at this point in time with our trade relationship. We’re hopeful for better days ahead,” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told Detroit television station WXYZ.
The United States is Canada’s largest trading partner, with more than 70% of Canadian exports going south of the border. Detroit is also the busiest crossing for commercial truck traffic between the two countries, according to the US Department of Transportation.
The new bridge is expected to increase competition by providing an alternative to the privately owned Ambassador Bridge, which has been the only crossing for large commercial trucks between Detroit and Windsor for nearly 100 years.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said she had initially been invited to a joint Canada-US ceremony before the plans changed.
Calling the bridge important for the region, Sheffield said it would play a vital role in supporting the local economy, while avoiding comments on whether it had become part of the political tensions between the two countries.
The bridge is named after legendary Canadian hockey player Gordie Howe, who starred for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and died in 2016. Construction began in 2018 and took several years to complete, partly due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The six-lane bridge stretches about 2.4 kilometres (1.5 miles) across the Detroit River and rises 46 metres (151 feet) above the water at its highest point. Pedestrians and cyclists carrying proper identification will be allowed to cross free of charge in the coming weeks.
Canada financed the project at an estimated cost of US$6.4 billion. Under a recent agreement, Canada will share part of the bridge’s toll revenue with the US government for 15 years. Michigan will also receive a share of the toll income, but only after Canada recovers its construction costs, a process expected to take several decades.
