The Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor is set for a ribbon-cutting event Friday, June 12, two sources with knowledge of the event told the Detroit Free Press.
A source who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the matter said the ribbon cutting was planned for Friday in the early afternoon and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and former Gov. Rick Snyder were expected to be in attendance, though it was unclear if any federal officials would participate.
It’s a notable step toward the bridge’s opening to the public months after its future was put into question when President Donald Trump said he wouldn’t allow it to open without concessions from the Canadian government.
Although sources said a ribbon cutting is planned, it’s unclear when the bridge will actually open to traffic after it takes place. One source with knowledge of the circumstances, who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly, indicated a deal between Canada and the Trump administration might allow the new bridge to open the week after the ribbon cutting, though the Free Press hadn’t confirmed that.
That source said that Whitmer had been talked directly to the White House to negotiate the bridge opening, though the White House did not immediately confirm that for the Free Press.
John Roach, a spokesman for Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, told the Free Press he was not aware of any scheduled bridge event. Christine Chauvin, administrative assistant for Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, also said over email the office had not been informed of a ribbon-cutting event. Both the Michigan Department of Transportation and Whitmer Press Secretary Stacey LaRouche referred an inquiry to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment from the Free Press.
Through an agreement brokered in part by Snyder, Canada has paid for the $4.7 billion bridge’s construction and is expected to recoup the costs through toll fees.
The publicly owned bridge, after initial delays, targeted a 2026 opening and will join the privately owned Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, which is jointly owned by the two cities, as a Detroit River crossing. It has strong support from businesses on both sides of the border, including the automobile industry.
Ground first broke on the project in 2018, with construction starting in 2020.
Trump said in a Feb. 9 social media post he would not allow the bridge to open without concessions from Canada. Although it’s unclear what exactly the president sought, business relations between the neighboring countries have been strained after Trump instituted broad tariffs on Canadian products entering the United States.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Feb. 10 he had spoken with Trump about the bridge and “the situation will be settled,” Reuters reported.
Free Press reporters Clara Hendrickson and Dana Afana contributed to this report.
You can reach Arpan Lobo at alobo@freepress.com
This story has been updated with new information.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sources: Gordie Howe Bridge ribbon-cutting to take place Friday
Reporting by Todd Spangler and Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Todd Spangler and Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
