Carney says opening of Gordie Howe Bridge an important symbol of Canada-U.S. ties

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Mark Carney says it’s good news that the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit will get its official opening at the end of the week.

Carney said Tuesday the bridge is an important symbol of the enduring strength of the bilateral relationship, which has been strained by the ongoing trade war.

“It’s positive news, obviously. The bridge will be open at the end of the week and, you know, a symbol, but also a fact of co-operation between our countries,” he said on his way into a cabinet meeting.

“I just want to salute those who constructed it on both sides and looking forward to getting it done.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the bridge, jointly owned by the governments of Canada and Michigan, is expected set to take place Friday, while the bridge itself is expected to open to traffic later this month.

The immediate future of the bridge was cast in doubt when U.S. President Donald Trump insisted in a social media post in February that the United States would have to be compensated before he would allow it to open.

Carney did not say Tuesday whether Canada offered any concessions to get the bridge opened.

Global News reported Tuesday that a White House official said Trump’s position on the bridge has not changed and the administration “remains committed to securing the best possible deal for the American people.”

A Canadian source with knowledge of the planning but who is not authorized to speak publicly about it, said invitations to the Friday event have been sent and all signs Canada has received federally indicate that the bridge is 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 to proceed. 

The source pointed to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s Senate hearing testimony last week, during which he said that U.S. Customs and Border Protection is “ready to go” once the bridge is open.

Earlier Tuesday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told reporters in Washington, D.C., that he is still skeptical the opening will go ahead.

“Let’s see if it opens or not,” he said. “Hopefully it will, if they say it’s going to open. I’m just hearing two stories.”

Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson, who is responsible for the file federally, said that a final date for the ribbon-cutting is being worked on “right now” and the bridge will be open in the coming days.

Like Carney, he also did not answer questions about whether Canada offered any concessions to get the bridge opened.

The project has faced pushback from members of the Moroun family, who own the competing Ambassador Bridge. House Democrats are probing whether the billionaire family took action to obstruct the Gordie Howe bridge project.

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

Canada paid for the construction of the bridge and will collect revenue from tolls. That revenue will be shared with Michigan once Canada’s costs are recouped.

An agreement on the bridge was struck in 2012 but ground was not broken until 2018 and construction faced numerous delays.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2026.

— With files from Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington.