June 9, 2026, 3:39 p.m. ET
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that the long-awaited Gordie Howe International Bridge across the Detroit River will be open at the week’s end, calling the development “positive news, obviously.”
“A symbol but also a fact of cooperation between our countries,” Carney told reporters as he headed into Parliament, according to a video from the Canadian Broadcasting Co.
“Great for Canadians going across the border, Americans coming across the border, and for commerce. And I just want to salute the those who constructed it on both sides, and (I’m) looking forward to getting it done.”
Carney’s remarks confirm reporting by The Detroit News that a ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for Friday, with traffic expected to begin flowing over the bridge on Monday. Carney did not specify when traffic would be allowed on the bridge, only saying the structure would “be open at the end of the week.”
Formal invitations to the 1 p.m. Friday ribbon cutting began going out to VIPs on Tuesday morning from the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which oversaw construction of the $4.7 billion, six-lane span between Michigan and Ontario. The News first reported on Monday morning plans for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The 1.5-mile-long bridge has been in the works for decades as an alternative to the privately owned and aging Ambassador Bridge.
The new Detroit River bridge was financed by Canada, and construction started in 2018; however, its spring opening had been in doubt after President Donald Trump threatened to block it back in February, demanding concessions from Canada in trade talks or a share of future toll revenue. Michigan and Canada share equal ownership of the bridge.
But the White House this week appeared to be moving forward with an agreement to open the span following a conversation between Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, and Susie Wiles, who is chief of staff to President Donald Trump, according to two sources who were not authorized to speak publicly.
In Washington, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was asked Tuesday if the bridge will open, and he said, “I hope so,” according to Bloomberg.
He later added: “Let’s see what really happens.”
Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told WWJ-TV (CBS Detroit) on Tuesday he was excited at the prospect of the bridge opening “hopefully Monday of next week.”
While still waiting on an official announcement, Dilkens said he thought it was likely that a ribbon-cutting would take place on Friday and the bridge’s opening Monday.
“Everything’s been ready for a couple of months, and so certainly it’s just been a matter of working through the president’s office and all of the trials and tribulations that he’s put in the way of seeing this move forward,” the Windsor mayor said.
“It sounds like we’re over that hump now, and things are getting ready to move forward and open, and we certainly look forward to being there.”
A spokeswoman for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, Tara Carson, said Tuesday by email that the project team “is progressing well towards a spring opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will be a vital economic link between the two countries.
“Additional details will be shared in the coming days,” Carson said.
The News first reported May 30 that the new $4.7 billion bridge, customs plazas and ramps connecting to Michigan and Ontario could be days away from completion.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin testified last week that Customs and Border Protection staff are “good to go” to facilitate trade and travel across the newly built bridge, following training and other prep work.
“We have the personnel dedicated, ready to move,” Mullin told the Senate Appropriations Committee a week ago. “We’re prepared, we’re staffed, ready to go.”
Just a month ago, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra told The Detroit News that the Trump administration has yet to reach an agreement with the Canadian government regarding the opening of the Detroit River span.
“At the end of the day, the president will have to sign off on it,” Hoekstra said of an eventual agreement. “There’s a lot of issues right now between the U.S. and Canada. The bridge is one more.”
Trump previously voiced support for the bridge, including a joint statement in 2017 with then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The pair at the time said they looked forward to the “expeditious completion of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will serve as a vital economic link between our two countries.”
