Former U.S. Ambassador to Canada and former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard is calling the Gordie Howe International Bridge the most important infrastructure project in North America as the long-awaited Detroit-to-Windsor span nears its opening.
Blanchard was an early supporter of the project.
“It will be a towering symbol of the U.S.-Canada friendship and partnership,” he said.
But with the $4.7 billion bridge in its final stretch, there has been little public fanfare ahead of the opening.
“Relations with Canada on the part of the U.S. are the worst in modern history. And it’s not just the tariffs,” Blanchard said. “It’s the insults I think the president has foolishly levied at Canada.”
Construction on the decades-in-the-making crossing began in 2018.
The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority has not announced an opening date or released details about Friday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony on the Windsor side. The bridge authority also did not answer a question about how much notice drivers will get before the bridge opens.
Last month, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said the current political climate has made it hard to mark the project the way leaders might have in other times.
“In normal times, you would have a U.S. president meet a Canadian prime minister in the middle of the bridge, cut a ribbon, and celebrate our binational relationship. But unfortunately, we’re not there today,” he said.
CBC reported that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the opening of the bridge could be delayed, but added that “there’s no big drama.”
“A lot of us have been working on this for a long time,” Blanchard said. “We will be happy to see the ribbon cut whenever that is.