Several months after President Donald Trump first criticized the opening of the finished Gordie Howe Bridge between the U.S. and Canada, authorities have put the structure’s opening on hold.
The bridge is completed, but its opening has been delayed due to Trump's dispute with the country and comes as the deadline to extend the North American Free Trade Agreement among the U.S., Canada and Mexico arrives July 1.
“The Gordie Howe International Bridge will be a vital economic link for Canada and the United States. As we work towards an opening date, we are taking a collaborative approach, reflecting our shared ambition for this trade corridor," said Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority Interim CEO Chuck Andary. "Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues. We appreciate the efforts of workers on both sides of the border to get the bridge to its current state of readiness.”
Talk of delaying the opening of the bridge began in February when Trump criticized Canada’s handling of the project.
“As everyone knows, the Country of Canada has treated the United States very unfairly for decades,” said Trump on his social media platform TruthSocial in February. “Now, things are turning around for the U.S.A., and FAST! But imagine, Canada is building a massive bridge between Ontario and Michigan. They own both the Canada and the United States side and, of course, built it with virtually no U.S. content.”
But that's not the case, as Canada funded the entire project, which will be jointly owned by the two countries. According to the Canada-Michigan Crossing Agreement, signed in 2012 by the U.S. and Canada, tolls for both directions of traffic will be collected on the Canada side to reimburse the Canadian government, which funded the entire project without aid from the U.S. Once the Canadian government has been fully reimbursed, toll revenue will be shared between the two countries, per the agreement.
Trump also said former U.S. President Barack Obama issued a waiver to Canada to avoid Buy American Act requirements on the bridge and that the U.S. will get “absolutely nothing” from the bridge as the Canadian government will “take advantage of America!”
The 2012 Federal Highway Administration waiver in question allowed Canada to build the Gordie Howe Bridge with both U.S. and Canadian steel and iron, as opposed to using only American materials, per the FHWA's Buy America Policy.
An agreement signed between the Canadian government and the contractor building the bridge stated the project cannot favor one country's materials over the other and that 99.9% of all iron and steel materials must be produced in Canada or from a combination of American and Canadian sources, according to Vancouver CityNews.
“I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve,” Trump’s statement continued. “We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset. The revenues generated because of the U.S. Market will be astronomical.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters on February 10 that he had spoken with Trump that morning and that “the situation will be settled,” according to Reuters.
A Historic, Controversial Structure
Once open, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will be the first new connection between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, in more than 60 years. It measures 1.56 miles long, is the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America and the 10th longest in the world. The bridge towers, completed in 2024, stand 722 feet tall.
Originally estimated to cost $2.1 billion and be completed in 2020, the Federal Highway Administration puts the total cost of the bridge’s contracts at roughly $5.2 billion. Ground was broken on the Gordie Howe Bridge in October 2018, and in October 2025, Canadian officials said the bridge would open in early 2026.
The project’s contract went to Bridging North America, a consortium made up of firms including ACS Infrastructure Canada, Dragados Canada, Fluor Canada, AECOM and Aecon Group.
The bridge’s construction is no stranger to controversy. The Moroun family, which owns the 87-year-old, tolled Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor, previously sued unsuccessfully to try to stop the project and even aired television commercials calling on President Trump to intervene, which he did.
