Canada has officially marked the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge linking Ontario and Michigan, with no U.S. officials attending the ceremony as trade tensions between the two countries persist.
The $6.4 billion bridge will open to vehicle traffic on July 27, with access for cyclists and pedestrians beginning Aug. 5. The bridge will serve the Detroit–Windsor corridor, one of the busiest border crossings between the two countries, handling about 25 percent of Canada-U.S. cross-border truck trade and roughly $1 billion in daily commerce.
While a joint ceremony between Canada and the United States to open the bridge had been planned, Ottawa announced on July 21 that it would be “inappropriate to proceed with a celebratory event between the two countries” in the face of U.S. tariffs….