The opening of the long-delayed Gordie Howe International Bridge between Ontario and Michigan has been delayed, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said Thursday, after Canadian officials said the bridge would open this week.
The delay comes as Canada and the U.S. are “taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues,” the authority said in a statement.
“Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues,” said Chuck Andary, interim CEO and and chief legal officer of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority.
Prime Minister Mark Carney wouldn’t say what those issues are when pressed by reporters Wednesday, only saying there were “a series of technical aspects which will work through with the United States.”
“At the request of the United States, we agreed to delay the opening and take the necessary time to resolve outstanding issues, a few issues that have been raised,” he said at an event in Toronto.
Carney suggested that “necessary time” could last weeks.
“This is a collaborative approach. As I said yesterday, there’s no great drama here. We’re going to work through some issues that have come up for a bridge that is going to be in place and serve Canadians, Americans, others, for decades. The question of a few weeks is time well spent.”
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The prime minister refuted suggestions that the bridge was being used by U.S. President Donald Trump to pressure Canada in trade negotiations, adding he has not discussed the issue directly with Trump.
“Look, Canada paid for the bridge,” he said. “We ensured that half of the construction work and the activity associated with it was shared with Michigan, and the benefits, of course, of the bridge will be shared by all.
“It’s a major binational project, and we want to launch it in the right way, in a collaborative way.”
On Tuesday, Carney had indicated that the bridge would open by the end of this week, calling it “a symbol, but also a fact of cooperation between our countries.”
“Great for Canadians going across the border, Americans coming across the border, and for commerce,” he said.
However, Carney then suggested to reporters on Wednesday that the opening could take “a little longer,” though he insisted there was “no great drama” happening behind the scenes.
“We are working hard to make sure the bridge is open as soon as possible,” he said.
The future of the bridge was thrown into jeopardy in February, when Trump said that he will block the opening of the new bridge and trade route until the United States is “compensated for everything we have given” Canada.
Trump’s position on the bridge “has not changed,” a White House official told Global News Tuesday.
“The President’s position on the Gordie Howe Bridge has not changed. The Administration remains committed to securing the best possible deal for the American people,” the official said.
The Canadian government funded the entire project, which will be publicly owned by both Canada and Michigan.
The bridge is meant to serve as a new crossing within the busy Ontario-Michigan trade corridor and aims to ease traffic on the nearby Ambassador Bridge. About a third of all trade between the U.S. and Canada occurs between Detroit and Windsor.
Infrastructure Minister Gregor Robertson, who is responsible for the file federally, said on Tuesday that a date for the ribbon-cutting was being worked on and that the bridge would be open in the coming days.
Robertson, like Carney, did not answer questions about whether Canada offered any concessions to get the bridge opened.
— with files from Global’s Reggie Cecchini, and the Canadian Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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