New bridge between Canada and US to open despite Trump’s earlier threats

A new bridge linking Canada and the United States is set to open at the end of July, even though U.S. President Donald Trump earlier threatened to block its completion. Canada’s Infrastructure Ministry announced that Canada and the state of Michigan have agreed to open the Gordie Howe International Bridge over the Detroit River on July 27. The ministry emphasized that the opening has the support of the U.S. government.

The bridge is described as "an economically significant link between Canada and the U.S., generating billions of dollars in economic activity in the coming decades," according to the ministry’s statement.

Construction began in 2018, and the total cost is 6.4 billion Canadian dollars (4 billion euros). The bridge connects Windsor, Ontario, with Detroit, Michigan. It will feature six lanes for vehicle traffic, as well as pedestrian and bicycle paths. Canadian officials said the bridge will boost trade between the neighboring countries.

Earlier this year, Trump criticized Canada for not using U.S.-made materials like steel in the bridge’s construction. He repeatedly expressed a desire to make Canada the 51st U.S. state and threatened to impose a 100% tariff on all Canadian goods if it signed a trade deal with China. In February, he insisted that the U.S. had been treated unfairly and that "at least half" of the bridge should belong to the United States.

However, on Saturday, Trump reversed his stance and thanked the Canadian government. "I was able to get America a better deal, and therefore I will allow the new and wonderful Gordie Howe International Bridge from Detroit to Windsor to open on schedule July 27," he wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

According to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the bridge was fully funded by Canada and will be jointly owned by Canada and the state of Michigan. It is named after legendary hockey player Gordie Howe, who spent most of his career with the Detroit Red Wings.