A federal minister indicated the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge is linked to ongoing trade talks with the United States.
Minister Evan Solomon, responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, spoke to the issue at a news conference in Windsor on Thursday.
"Obviously there's complicated negotiations going on. But we hope that, not only the bridge opens, it's an element, but the larger relationship is... that's one aspect of a larger relationship that we have to fix," said Solomon.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge was originally supposed to open in November 2024. It was pushed back a year due to supply chain issues and COVID-19 delays. Then, in October 2025, a new target was set for early 2026.
The latest target from the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority was Spring 2026.
In a post to Truth Social in February, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block the bridge from opening until the U.S. is "fully compensated."
"It's part of an ongoing negotiation and I'll just reiterate we're having productive dialogue with the United States but there's a lot of factors. The bridge is one factor, trade, there's a lot of industries that are being impacted," said Solomon.
The Canadian government fully funded the $6.4 billion project.
