Gordie Howe Bridge ceremony goes Canadian-only amid tariff fight
Canada marked the Detroit River bridge’s completion before Monday’s opening after Trump’s 50% tariff announcement derailed a joint event.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Canada celebrated the completion of the Gordie Howe Bridge as tariffs strained the moment, with U.S. and Michigan officials absent from Friday’s ceremony in Windsor, Ontario, the Associated Press reported. The six-lane Detroit River crossing is set to open to traffic Monday and is expected to become a major route for trade and everyday travel between Canada and the United States.
The event took place with the bridge visible behind Canadian officials, according to AP. Chuck Andary, interim CEO of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which will operate the crossing, called the day both the end of a long project and the start of something new.
Canada had planned a joint celebration but canceled that format after President Donald Trump announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods entering the United States, AP reported. A soloist sang “O Canada” at the ceremony, while the U.S. national anthem was not performed.
Why are tariffs affecting the Gordie Howe Bridge ceremony?
The bridge is opening at a tense point in the U.S.-Canada trade relationship. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told Detroit television station WXYZ-TV before the ceremony that the situation was regrettable and that he hoped for better days in the trade relationship.
The project’s economic stakes are high. More than 70% of Canadian exports go to the United States, making it Canada’s largest trade partner, AP reported. Detroit is also the top U.S.-Canada border port for truck traffic, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The new bridge will add a second major truck route at Detroit. For almost 100 years, AP reported, the privately owned Ambassador Bridge has been the only crossing there for large commercial trucks traveling between the two countries.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said earlier in the week that the new crossing “will be vital for our economy,” according to AP. She did not engage directly when asked whether the bridge had become a political issue in the countries’ strained relationship.
What is the Gordie Howe International Bridge?
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a 1.5-mile, or 2.4-kilometer, span over the Detroit River between Windsor and Detroit. AP reported that it rises 151 feet, or 46 meters, above the river at its highest point.
The bridge is named for Gordie Howe, the Canadian hockey star who played for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings and died in 2016. Construction began in 2018 and took years in part because of the global slowdown tied to the COVID-19 pandemic, AP reported.
Pedestrians and cyclists with proper identification will be allowed to use the bridge for free within a few weeks, according to AP. Vehicle traffic is scheduled to begin Monday.
Canada funded construction of the bridge at an estimated cost of $6.4 billion, AP reported. Under a recent agreement, Canada will share some toll revenue with the U.S. government for 15 years.
Michigan is also due a share of toll revenue, but AP reported that will not begin until Canada recovers its costs, a process expected to take decades.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.