United States asked for Gordie Howe Bridge opening to be delayed: Carney

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney says the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge was delayed at the request of the United States — but the issue is separate from negotiations on a critical continental trade pact.

“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,” Carney said at an unrelated news conference in Toronto on Thursday.

Carney repeated his statement from earlier in the week that “there’s not great drama here.” He said there are a “series of technical aspects” that have to be worked through but did not provide further details.

Invitations had already been sent out for a ribbon cutting event on Friday to mark the opening of the $6.4-billion bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens had said there were rumours it would be open to traffic on Monday.

But on Thursday morning, the interim chief executive of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said Canada and the U.S. agreed to a delay as the two countries attempt to “resolve any outstanding issues.”

“Although we would all like the Gordie Howe Bridge to open, Canada need not fall on bent knee to make it happen. Get us a great trade deal (Carney)!” Dilkens wrote in a statement shared on social media later Thursday morning.

The opening was put into question earlier this week when White House officials said U.S. President Donald Trump had not changed his position since February, when the president posted on social media that the United States would need to be compensated before he would allow the bridge to open.

The White House has not yet responded to questions about whether the Trump administration intervened in the planned Friday event.

The Gordie Howe Bridge is co-owned by the governments of Canada and Michigan.

In an agreement with then-Republican governor Rick Snyder, Canada agreed to shoulder the cost of construction and recoup its investment through tolls, after which the money would be split with the state.

Trump himself endorsed the bridge project during his first term.

A Canadian source with knowledge of the planning — who is not authorized to speak publicly about it — said all signs the federal government received indicated the bridge was cleared to open.

The source said the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority — a Canadian Crown corporation responsible for the construction and administration of the bridge — has all the technical approvals it needs to proceed.

The Associated Press reported that the bridge opening was moving forward after conversations between Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.

The plans were thrown into disarray after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick pushed back on the opening, the Associated Press reported, citing two people with knowledge of the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss the private talks.

Whitmer’s office said Thursday the bridge will be critical for the state.

“Michigan secured a great deal on the financing of this bridge: we haven’t paid a dime, yet we will reap significant economic benefits for decades,” her office said in an emailed statement.

“This project is a powerful example of bipartisan and international co-operation, and the governor looks forward to attending the ribbon cutting ceremony when it happens.”

While some in Michigan called for the bridge to move forward, state Republican House Speaker Matt Hall said he was very happy to see it delayed. He told reporters Thursday that “this was a very bad deal” and called for the state to get toll revenues immediately, despite Canada shouldering the construction costs.

“I would support efforts to try to get 50-50 on the toll revenue,” he said.

Hall said he has heard reports that U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra and Lutnick were leading discussions on the bridge opening.

When asked about Michigan state Republicans pushing to renege on the bridge agreement, Carney said, “Canada paid for the bridge.”

“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,” he added.

Carney said the issues were raised by the U.S. administration as a whole, and he has not had a direct conversation with the president about this week’s delay.

The prime minister said the bridge delay is not connected to ongoing negotiations on the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement on trade.

The bridge has faced significant pushback from members of the Moroun family, who own the competing Ambassador Bridge. House Democrats in Washington are looking into whether members of the billionaire family, who have long been major Republican donors, acted to obstruct the new bridge.

The New York Times reported that Matthew Moroun had a meeting with Lutnick just before Trump’s social media post attacking the project in February.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 11, 2026.

— With files from Kelly Malone in Washington and The Associated Press

David Baxter, The Canadian Press