US, Canada Reach Deal To Open Gordie Howe Bridge On July 27

The United States and Canada have reached an agreement allowing the new Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, to open on July 27 following weeks of negotiations over toll revenue and oversight.

President Trump said the original arrangement was unacceptable to the United States and praised the revised agreement as fair to both countries.

“The original deal made was unacceptable to me,” Trump said. “The new deal is great, and fair.”

Under the agreement, the United States will receive a share of the bridge’s operating profits through a regional economic development fund. American officials will also have greater oversight of toll policies and the ability to object to certain large toll increases.

The Canadian government said the two countries agreed to a series of measures focused on toll governance, transparency, and economic investments in communities surrounding the bridge. The deal includes the creation of a 15-year development fund connected to a portion of the bridge’s profits.

The $4.7 billion bridge had originally been expected to open in June, but the Trump administration requested a delay while officials negotiated changes to the financial arrangement.

Trump had raised concerns that Canada financed the bridge and expected to collect its toll revenue for decades, despite the crossing connecting directly to the United States and relying heavily on American trade.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick negotiated the new agreement with Canadian officials, including Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s minister responsible for trade relations with the United States.

Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers said the administration succeeded in securing a far better deal after the United States previously stood to receive little or no immediate financial benefit.

The six-lane bridge is expected to ease congestion at the Ambassador Bridge, which currently handles a large portion of commercial traffic between Detroit and Windsor.

The Detroit-Windsor crossing is the busiest commercial border route between the United States and Canada, handling more than $100 billion in truck-carried trade annually.

Studies have estimated that the new bridge could reduce crossing times by approximately 20 minutes and save trucking companies billions of dollars over the next several decades.

Construction began in 2018 and was financed by Canada after the United States declined to contribute directly to the project. Canada had planned to recover the cost through toll collections over approximately 30 years.

With the revised agreement now in place, officials on both sides of the border are preparing for the July 27 opening.