DETROIT – President Donald Trump threatened to block the opening of the newly constructed Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit and Canada in a post on social media on Monday.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is a $4.7 billion ($6.4 billion Canadian) project named after the legendary hockey player. It will provide a passageway for travelers between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.
The Gordie Howe is owned by Michigan and Canada, but is being paid for almost entirely by Canada. While the bridge does not have an official opening date, it is expected to open to traffic this year.
Trump lashed out at Canada on social media for what he called unfair trade deals, and threatened to block the opening of the bridge until “the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them.”
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens called Trump’s threat to stall the new border crossing “insane.”
“Canada funded the $6.4B project because we knew it was important to help facilitate international trade,” Dilkens posted on social media. “When a multi-billion-dollar trade gateway -- a gift from Canada to the North American supply chain that comes at no cost to the American taxpayer -- is used as a political bargaining chip, it doesn’t just impact Windsor; it concerns every border municipality in the country.”
During Trump’s first term as president, he called the bridge “a vital economic link between our two countries," and had it listed as a priority infrastructure project.
Why the Gordie Howe International Bridge is important
The new bridge connects I-75 in Detroit to Highway 401 in Ontario. The Detroit Regional Chamber calls it “the most consequential infrastructure project in the state.”
About one-third of all trade between the United States and Canada goes through Detroit, primarily across the privately owned Ambassador Bridge. The nearly 100-year-old, four-lane toll bridge is the busiest international border crossing in North America.
It’s estimated that the Ambassador Bridge handles 40% of all trucking shipments from the United States.
Both the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel raised their toll prices last month.
In addition to providing another way to connect the two countries, the Gordie Howe Bridge will provide direct access to I-75 and I-96 in Michigan, as well as Highway 3 in Ontario, without cutting through city streets. Residents have complained about Ambassador Bridge traffic cutting through neighborhoods.
Timeline of construction
A second bridge proposal first gained traction in the early 2000s but faced legal opposition from the Ambassador Bridge owners.
Groundbreaking on the Gordie Howe International Bridge began in 2018.
“We let politics get ahead of common sense, and that’s what stopped this bridge from moving forward far too long,” said then-Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. “I’m for the Gordie Howe Bridge because we need it.”
Work on the bridge deck began in 2022 on each side. The decks connected as one span in 2024.
The bridge was expected to open in 2024, but multiple delays pushed it back to early 2026.
The Department of Homeland Security established the Gordie Howe International Bridge as a port of entry on Jan. 30, 2026.
As of February 2026, the construction is almost entirely completed. Crews are now inspecting and testing every system to make sure it operates safely.
What’s next?
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he spoke to Trump early Tuesday, Feb. 10, calling it a positive conversation and that he’s excited for the bridge to open.
Carney said the U.S. ambassador to Canada, former Michigan GOP Chair Pete Hoekstra, will “play a role in smoothing the conversation in and around the bridge.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she expects the Gordie Howe International Bridge to open on time. Although she did not disclose specific conversations, she mentioned ongoing staff-level discussions and anticipated further talks in Washington, D.C., to ensure the bridge project progresses as planned.