Gordie Howe bridge nears opening
The Gordie Howe International Bridge as seen in its final stages.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge will open to traffic on July 27 under an agreement between Canada and Michigan and with the support of the U.S. government, Canadian officials said Friday.
The announcement came a few hours after Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers, an ally of President Donald Trump, said the bridge was expected to open soon to traffic through a deal negotiated by the United States and Canada.
Rogers of White Lake Township made the comments during a Friday radio interview with host Paul W. Smith. Rogers cited a conversation he had with Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary in President Donald Trump’s administration.
“The deal will be announced in the next few days,” Rogers said.
The Canadian government, in its Friday statement, laid out some broad strokes of the agreement between the U.S. and Canada, including those “focused on toll governance and transparency, as well as investments in the region, including through the establishment of a 15-year economic development fund tied to a portion of profits from bridge operations.”
“The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority will also work collaboratively with the Government of the United States on toll-rate adjustments, seeking concurrence for certain non-market related toll changes,” the statement said.
The U.S. government would receive 50% of the bridge’s toll revenue and be able to veto any toll increase that is 10% over the current tolls, according to Reuters. Commercial shippers that sign up for the Gordie Howe Bridge’s “Breakaway” discount toll program will pay charges of 6.90 U.S. dollars per axle, according to rates that the new bridge’s operators announced in March.
Lutnick and U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra have been leading the negotiations with Canada since a June 11 bridge opening was abruptly canceled at the last minute. The ribbon-cutting invitations went out after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, and Susie Wiles, who is chief of staff to President Donald Trump, had talked, according to two of the sources who spoke to The Detroit News.
Whitmer said in a Friday evening statement the Gordie Howe International Bridge has “always been a great deal for our state,” calling it a “testament to the enduring partnership between Michigan and Canada.”
“Thousands of Michigan workers built this critical bridge, which will speed up auto production, lower costs, ease traffic, strengthen agriculture, and give people on both sides of the border better-paying jobs and brighter futures. I’m proud to have fought for its opening and congratulate my partners who have worked on this issue alongside me for years,” Whitmer said. “Thank you to our allies in Canada and to the Michiganders who advocated for years to get this done.”
Gregor Robertson, Canada’s Minister of Housing and Infrastructure, said in a statement that the bridge will strengthen the economies on both sides of the border “for generations to come.”
“This nation-building project is a testament to what Canada can accomplish when we come together with a shared vision,” Robertson said. “Our gratitude goes to all the staff, workers, partners, and community members who were involved.”
The long-awaited opening of the $4.7 billion, six-lane span has been a point of contention and international drama this year after Trump threatened to block it in February until Canada treated the U.S. with “fairness and respect.”
Rogers said the potential deal included joint determination on toll rates and a guarantee that China-manufactured vehicles wouldn’t pour into the U.S.
After the original bridge opening ceremony was canceled, Hokestra told The Detroit News: “Where we are right now is we’ve got the right folks talking and working on getting the bridge open.”
“We’re doing it collaboratively and, when our discussions are done, there will be an announcement on the day when the bridge will open, and we’ll have the appropriate events at that time.”
Rogers’ announcement came after the top Canadian diplomat based in Detroit expressed optimism Wednesday that an international stalemate over the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge would be resolved.
Colin Bird, the Canadian consul general to Detroit, commented on the $4.7 billion bridge during an event at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge honoring what would have been the 100th birthday of the late John Dingell, the longtime Downriver congressman credited with helping assemble the land for the migratory bird refuge in Trenton.
Bird suggested Wednesday it’s only a matter of time before the bridge opens, though he did not predict a timeline.
“I know if we do, when we do get this bridge open, Congresswoman Dingell is going to have been a huge part of that, and so let me thank you in advance, because it’s going to happen,” Bird said.
