After months of delays, the Gordie Howe International Bridge officially opens to public traffic at noon ET on Monday, creating a second road crossing between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan.
The opening comes amid heightened Canada-U.S. trade tensions, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to impose new 50 per cent tariffs on many Canadian goods beginning next month.
The bridge, named after Canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe, was formally inaugurated on Friday in a ceremony attended by government officials and members of Howe’s family. Housing and Infrastructure Minister Greg Robertson described the project as more than just a transportation link, calling it a symbol of cooperation between Canada and the United States.
Motorists using the bridge will pay an $8 toll for personal vehicles, with an additional $8 charge for trailers. Commercial, passenger, hazardous, and oversized vehicles will be charged $12 per axle.
The bridge’s opening follows months of political uncertainty. Earlier this year, President Trump threatened to block the project unless the United States received greater compensation and Canada addressed trade concerns. Those issues were resolved after Canadian and Michigan officials reached a new revenue-sharing agreement, allowing the crossing to open on July 27.
Canada financed the entire $6.4-billion bridge project, although ownership is shared with the State of Michigan. Under the recently released agreement in principle, the two sides will share 50 per cent of the bridge’s net crossing revenues for 15 years. However, questions remain over how those revenues will be calculated and when revenue-sharing will begin.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has maintained that Canada will not share toll revenues until the country’s construction costs have been repaid. The wording of the agreement, however, has prompted scrutiny from opposition parties, who argue it does not explicitly guarantee that repayment will come before revenue sharing.
The House of Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations is expected to examine the agreement this week as opposition MPs seek further details on the government’s handling of the deal.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is expected to enhance trade, improve border capacity, and strengthen one of North America’s busiest commercial transportation corridors while providing travellers with a new crossing between Canada and the United States.
