Driving the news: The Gordie Howe International Bridge will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday (June 12), with the bridge opening to the public Monday (June 15), according to the Detroit News and local media reports.
For context: The international bridge spans the Detroit River, connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario.
At 1.5 miles, it is the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America.
With the bridge comes a new Canadian port on a 130-acre site, and a new U.S. port on a 167-acre site.
Since the Windsor-Detroit Gateway stands as one of the busiest commercial land border crossing between the U.S. and Canada, adding the six-lane bridge will help free up traffic that until now, was limited to the Ambassador Bridge above water and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel below.
Worth noting: In February, President Donald Trump threatened to delay the Canadian-funded bridge’s opening as part of trade negotiation efforts with Canada.
Later reports suggested the delay followed a meeting between Matthew Moroun, and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who then spoke with Trump by phone, according to reports.
The Moroun family are the private owners of the Ambassador Bridge.
The standoff pushed the opening past its original spring target, but Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed Tuesday (June 9) that the bridge will open this week.
For those who don’t do sports, the international crossing is named for hockey legend Gordie Howe, a Canadian who spent a quarter century of his Hall of Fame career with the Detroit Red Wings. Howe, aka Mr. Hockey, won four Stanley Cups with Detroit, among a long list of other accolades.
Why it matters: The Detroit-Windsor corridor moves $94.2 billion in trade annually, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
A single assembly plant can receive 1,000 trucks per day, all on just-in-time schedules. Border delays can halt production.
Delays that lead to rerouting can cost up to $500 million per year.
The Gordie Howe Bridge gives that supply chain a backup for the first time, and for dealers, that should amount to a more reliable pipeline.
OUTSMART THE CAR MARKET IN 5 MINUTES A WEEK
Get insights trusted by 55,000+ car dealers. Free, fast, and built for automotive leaders.
A quick word from our partner
OPENLANE is cranking up the excitement this summer with another unforgettable DealerFest!
For the entire month of July, the more you transact on OPENLANE, the more opportunities to unlock incredible prizes.
From July 1-31, you’ll earn points for every vehicle you buy, sell and transport through OPENLANE.
The more points you earn, the bigger prizes you can win. New dealers who sign up in June receive up to $2,500* in fee credits.
