WINDSOR, Ont. (WXYZ) — The Gordie Howe Bridge will not open as planned after the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority canceled a ribbon-cutting ceremony roughly 24 hours before it was set to take place.
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The authority said in a statement that "Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed the delay came at the request of the US administration.
"At the request of the United States, we have agreed to delay the opening," Carney said.
During an afternoon press conference, Carney said unspecified issues were raised by the US administration as a whole, and that he and President Trump have not had direct conversations about the bridge.
"This is a collaborative approach. As I said yesterday, there's not great drama here, we're going to address some issues that have come up," Carney said.
Research for a new bridge began more than 25 years ago, with an agreement reached between Michigan and Canada in 2012 and construction breaking ground in 2018. In February of this year, President Trump threatened to block the opening of the bridge due to trade disputes. The reason behind the latest delay was not fully specified.
Business owners on both sides of the border have long been anticipating the opening. Yoven Noyadoo, owner of Bluewater Heater, a Canadian-based business focused on cross-border travel with the auto industry, has a depot near the new bridge.
"I hope it'll be open very soon because I cross once a week at least, twice a week sometimes," Noyadoo said. "Yeah, it's a bummer, it's a bummer, I hope they can figure it out and get this open."
On-time delivery is central to Bluewater Heater's operations.
"We do on-time delivery, so to be able to come in and out as fast as you can, that's a plus," Noyadoo said.
Evans Distribution, a Michigan-based company in Melvindale that has been family-owned for nearly a century, also has a warehouse near the new bridge and even painted a mural of it at its headquarters.
"To us it's significant," Dawn Harthun, VP of Sales and Marketing at Evans Distribution Systems, said. "We're building our business knowing that there's going to be, anticipating this growth in trade, and we haven't realized it yet; we're waiting for the bridge to open. It means a lot to us, and we're still waiting."
Ryan Donnely, President and CEO of the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce, said the bridge will be a benefit for the whole region, but had few details to share about the ribbon-cutting or the reason for its cancellation.
"It's exciting that it's coming soon and we know that it's ready, would we like for it to happen this week? Of course, but it seems like it's going to be a couple more weeks or months at least," Donnely said. "If that takes a couple more months that we have to iron out whatever differences we're having for a trade perspective, for that handshake to really mean something… I'm willing to wait for that, I know our region is willing to wait for that, and our country is too."
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she looks forward to attending the ribbon-cutting whenever it happens, saying in part: "Michigan secured a great deal on the financing of this bridge: we haven't paid a dime, yet we will reap significant economic benefits for decades."
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