The Windsor-Detroit bridge saga is, blessedly, coming to a close.
What happened: The Gordie Howe International Bridge (GHIB) linking Windsor and Detroit will finally have its grand opening this Friday, with traffic set to start flowing the following Monday. The bridge will provide a new artery for one of the country's busiest trade corridors.
The project cost around $6.4 billion and was paid for entirely by Canada. Tolls will go to Canada until the costs are paid off, after which they will be split 50-50 with the U.S.
Catch-up: The bridge arrives two years past schedule and about $500 million over budget, but it’s a small miracle it’s open at all. In February, Donald Trump made a post on Truth Social saying he would “not allow” the bridge to open until the U.S. is “fully compensated for everything we have given [Canada].” He supported building the bridge in his first term.
It’s worth noting that the owner of the rival Ambassador Bridge that currently connects Detroit and Windsor is a major Republican donor with close ties to Trump.
Why it matters: Hate ‘em or love ‘em, the U.S. is still Canada’s top trade partner, and the Windsor-Detroit corridor is a vital route, especially for the auto industry. The GHIB will ease bottlenecks caused by the Ambassador Bridge and save truckers money with lower tolls.
The Ambassador Bridge actually lost its title as the busiest Canada-U.S. commercial crossing last year to Sarnia’s Blue Water Bridge, primarily due to its outrageous tolls.
Our take: It’s great news Ontario truckers could save up to $100,000 per fleet per month, but the real victory here is proving that just because Trump says something doesn’t mean it will happen.—QH
