A $4.7-billion international bridge connecting Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, is expected to open in the near future following an agreement on how toll revenues will be divided between the United States and Canada, according to a Michigan Republican speaking Friday.
Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers announced on WJR radio that he had spoken with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who informed him that the administration had finalized a deal. Rogers said the agreement would be formally announced within the coming days and would allow the Gordie Howe International Bridge to open shortly thereafter.
A source confirmed the deal had been struck, with the U.S. set to receive 50% of all toll revenue collected at the crossing. The agreement also gives the U.S. the power to veto any toll increase that exceeds 10% above current rates.
The bridge had originally been scheduled for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in early June, but Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney revealed last month that Canada agreed to push back the opening at the request of the Trump administration.
“We agreed to delay the opening and take the necessary time to resolve outstanding issues,” Carney said.
President Trump had raised objections to the bridge in February, pointing to Canada’s refusal to carry certain U.S. alcoholic beverages in Canadian stores, Canada’s dairy tariffs, and its trade discussions with China as reasons he might block the crossing from opening.
The owner of the competing Ambassador Bridge — which also connects Detroit and Windsor — Matthew Moroun, met with Commerce Secretary Lutnick in February. Weeks before that meeting, Moroun had contributed $1 million to a political action committee aligned with Trump.
Construction on the new bridge began in 2018 and was funded entirely by Canada after the U.S. declined to contribute financially. The construction costs were intended to be recovered through toll collections over a 30-year period, though it remains unclear how the newly agreed revenue split will affect that repayment plan.
The new crossing is expected to relieve congestion on the Ambassador Bridge, which serves as the largest freight port along the U.S.-Canada border. In 2023 alone, the Ambassador Bridge handled $126 billion worth of goods transported by commercial trucks.
According to a University of Windsor study, the new bridge will shave 20 minutes off crossing times, saving truckers an estimated $2.3 billion over the next 30 years.
The bridge announcement comes amid ongoing trade tensions between the two countries. Trump has repeatedly threatened Canada during his second term and has significantly raised tariffs on the northern neighbor. Last month, Trump also suggested he might not renew the existing free trade agreement with Canada and Mexico.
