Washington ― After eight years of construction, a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Gordie Howe International Bridge across the Detroit River is set for Friday, three sources with knowledge of the plans told The Detroit News on Monday.
The sources spoke on the condition that they not be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. It’s unclear when the bridge will officially open to traffic, but the official ceremony set for Friday suggests that the White House might be moving forward on a deal with Canada to open the new border crossing.
In recent days, testing of all systems at the bridge, customs plazas and ramps connecting to Michigan and Ontario freeways was wrapping up, officials had said. And Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin testified last week that Customs & Border Protection staff are “good to go” to facilitate trade and travel across the newly built span from Detroit to Windsor.
“We have the personnel dedicated, ready to move,” Mullin told the Senate Appropriations Committee a week ago.
“We’re prepared, we’re staffed, ready to go. … There’s still negotiations between Canada and the United States that’s not within DHS that has to be resolved. But we’re as far as we can go without the sign off from the bridge and the final agreement between the two countries.”
A spokeswoman for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which has overseen bridge construction, said last week that the span is “progressing well towards a spring opening.”
“The exact opening date depends on the completion of the ongoing quality reviews and testing and commissioning activities,” WDBA spokeswoman Tara Carson told The Detroit News by email.
Carson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa also didn’t immediately respond to questions.
The News first reported May 30 that the new $4.7 billion bridge, customs plazas and ramps connecting to Michigan and Ontario could be days away from completion.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Ribbon-cutting for Gordie Howe bridge set for this week, sources say
Reporting by Melissa Nann Burke, Craig Mauger and Grant Schwab, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Melissa Nann Burke, Craig Mauger and Grant Schwab, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
