U.S. President Donald Trump has heightened cross-border strains by vowing to prevent a crucial new link over the Detroit River from opening, insisting on compensation for past U.S. contributions and a stake in the infrastructure amid escalating trade disputes.
The cable-stayed Gordie Howe International Bridge, honouring ice hockey icon Gordie Howe, will connect Windsor in Ontario to Detroit in Michigan, boosting freight flows for the automotive corridors that process billions in yearly trade between the two nations.
The project arose more than a decade ago to relieve pressure on the privately operated Ambassador Bridge, which manages almost a quarter of truck traffic across the border. Its American owners, the Moroun family, fiercely opposed it.
Canada’s federal government is funding the full CA$6.4 billion cost—equivalent to £3.4 billion—including the U.S. customs facilities and Michigan property acquisitions. Tolls collected on the Canadian portion will recoup expenses over three decades.
Bridging North America, a team led by Fluor and Aecon, has managed design, construction, financing, operations, and maintenance since 2018. Progress reached 98 per cent completion by late 2025, despite pandemic setbacks.
Measuring 2.5 km with an 853-metre main span—the longest of its kind in North America—the six-lane span features 220-metre towers shaped like hockey sticks. A shared path for cyclists and pedestrians ties into local trails.
Completion of testing for lighting, toll systems, security, and a 5,000-LED artwork by Douglas Coupland has moved the opening to early 2026. The U.S. Homeland Security has approved it as a port of entry from March.
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens described the timing as “dreadful” given current tensions. The bridge incorporates green elements such as habitats for pollinators and advanced stormwater management.
On Truth Social, Trump asserted the U.S. merits “at least one half of this asset,” despite providing no funds, and accused Canada of dominating both riverbanks.
“The Canadian Government expects me, as President of the United States, to PERMIT them to just ‘take advantage of America!'” Trump wrote.
“I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them,” he added.
Trump linked the move to longstanding dairy tariffs, which he called “unacceptable” for years, and a recent Canada-China agreement on electric vehicles and canola. He warned it would “eat Canada alive,” ending “ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup.”
During his first presidency, Trump endorsed the bridge, joining then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in praising it as a “vital economic link,” despite Moroun lobbying.
The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, Ontario premier’s office, and Detroit mayor’s office have not commented swiftly, as USMCA negotiations loom this year.