A long-awaited bridge linking Canada and the United States, which faced a threat of being blocked by US President Donald Trump earlier this year, will open to the public on 27 July, officials said on Friday.
Canada’s Ministry of Infrastructure announced that Canada and the US state of Michigan had agreed to open the Gordie Howe International Bridge, with support from the US government, reports AFP/BBC.
The ministry said the bridge would serve as a “vital economic link” between the two countries, generating billions of dollars in economic activity for decades.
The $4.7 billion project (CAN$6.4 billion) connects Detroit, Michigan, with Windsor in Ontario and has been under construction since 2018.
The announcement came after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said last month that the bridge’s opening had been delayed indefinitely at the request of the United States due to “technical issues”.
In February, Trump threatened to block the bridge’s opening, arguing that the United States had been treated unfairly during its construction. He also insisted that the project should be “at least half” owned by the US.
However, according to a fact sheet issued by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the bridge was fully financed by Canada and will be jointly owned by Canada and the US state of Michigan.
The bridge is named after the late Canadian-born National Hockey League legend Gordie Howe, who played for the Detroit Red Wings. The name was chosen as a symbol of the close ties and shared history between Canada and the United States.
