The Gordie Howe International Bridge may be a step closer to opening, according to various sources.
The Detroit News reported on Monday that a ribbon-cutting ceremony is reportedly being planned at the bridge for Friday. The paper cited three sources who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not permitted to discuss the situation publicly.
Detroit television stations WXYZ Channel 7 and WJBK Fox 2 have also reported that a ceremony may be set for Friday.
However, the bridge is not expected to open to traffic.
The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) has not confirmed that a ribbon-cutting has been scheduled.
The news of a possible ribbon-cutting came after a potential breakthrough in trade talks between Canada and the United States, which was reportedly tied to the timetable for the bridge's opening.
Minister Evan Solomon, responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, discussed it while in Windsor last month.
"Obviously, there are complicated negotiations going on. But we hope that, not only the bridge opens, it's an element, but the larger relationship is... that's one aspect of a larger relationship that we have to fix," said Solomon.
U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened in February to block the opening of the bridge. Trump inaccurately accused Canada of shutting out the use of American-made products, when in reality, the bridge was built using material from both countries. Trump also showed anger toward Ontario Premier Doug Ford over his directive to bar American-made alcoholic beverages from the LCBO until the tariff issue was resolved.
An agreement was reached in 2012 between then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper and then-Michigan Governor Rick Snyder to fund the project. Construction was funded by the Canadian government, covering the bridge, land acquisition on the Detroit side, and the on-ramps from Interstate 75. In return, Canada will receive all of the toll revenue collected on the Windsor side.
The bridge is jointly owned by the Canadian government and the State of Michigan.
The $6.4-billion project began in 2018 with an original opening date of November 2024. Supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the opening back another year. Last fall, another target opening date was set for spring 2026.
WindsorNewsToday.ca reached out on Monday evening to Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer's office for additional information, but was referred to the WDBA, which was provided with an opportunity to confirm some of the reported information. A response was not received by the time of publication.
