US-Canada bridge opens in Detroit even as trade disputes test the
neighbors' ties
[July 28, 2026] By
MIKE HOUSEHOLDER and ED WHITE
DETROIT (AP) — A major new bridge linking Canada and the U.S. at Detroit
opened Monday to trucks, cars and other vehicles, the climax of a
yearslong project that lately had been bruised a bit by international
politics.
Descendants of Gordie Howe, the hockey legend whose name is on the
bridge, were among the first to cross over the Detroit River, which
separates the Motor City from Windsor, Ontario. U.S. Sen. Gary Peters,
D-Mich., rode a motorcycle, while Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer drove a
Ford Mustang with the top down.
The six-lane span, which was built by Canada at a cost of $6.4 billion
Canadian, now becomes a less-expensive alternative to the privately
owned Ambassador Bridge, which had a monopoly on big trucks carrying
goods worth billions between the two countries, especially in service to
the auto industry.
“There are thousands of trucks that go over” daily, said Kevin Ketels, a
business professor who teaches supply chain management at Wayne State
University.
Jim Pereira, who was hauling auto parts for Ontario-based Onfreight
Logistics, was recognized as the first trucker to arrive in Detroit. He
blasted his air horn a few times and stepped down from the wheel to take
selfies with customs officers and exchange high-fives.
Pereira, 58, said he anticipates faster travel times on both sides as
trucks approach the wide bridge.
“It's just a beautiful piece of architecture,” he said.
Canada’s minister of infrastructure noted that the bridge resembles the
curve of a hockey stick blade. Steel cables, stretching from towers to
the deck, look like giant music harps.
Freddie Garrett, 81, said he regularly watched construction “ever since
they put the foundation in” back in 2018. So naturally he showed up at
Delray Park in Detroit to see the first vehicles moving overhead.
“It was amazing to see how they did it,” Garrett said. “They put up one
section at a time and then they met together in the middle. I'm sure it
will be there longer than I'll be around.”
[to top of second column] |
A Canada Border Services agent performs a mock questioning of a
trucker at the Gordie Howe International Bridge, in Windsor,
Ontario, Canada, Friday, July 24, 2026. (Dax Melmer/The Canadian
Press via AP)
 Last week, Canada celebrated the
Gordie Howe International Bridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in
Windsor. U.S. and Michigan representatives were uninvited after
President Donald Trump suddenly announced 50% tariffs on Canadian
goods entering America.
More than 70% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., making America its
largest trade partner, and Detroit is the No. 1 port for truck
traffic on the U.S.-Canada border, according to the U.S. Department
of Transportation.
Animosity between the governments of the two countries “has been
very challenging for us in this region,” Ketels said. “Many feel
it's unneeded and unnecessary.”
The span is 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) long and rises 151 feet (46
meters) above the river at its highest point. Pedestrians and
bicyclists will be able to cross it for free, starting Aug. 5.
Howe is a Canadian icon known as “Mr. Hockey” who wore No. 9 while
playing for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. He died in 2016.
A recent agreement between Canada and the Trump administration says
Canada will share some toll revenue with the U.S. government for 15
years. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in 2012 separately negotiated a
share for the state, but it won't be paid until Canada’s costs are
recovered, likely decades from now.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
