After months of speculation, a Canadian official for The Gordie Howe International Bridge project confirmed Tuesday that construction delays will push back the opening of the Detroit-Windsor link from this fall until next year.
Heather Grondin, chief relations officer of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the Canadian agency responsible for the $5.7 billion project, confirmed that construction delays and subsequent safety testing will result in the new bridge opening an unspecified date in 2026.
“The project team is progressing well toward construction completion this year with opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge as soon as early 2026,” Grondin said in a Tuesday email to The News. “The exact opening date will depend on our ongoing quality reviews, testing and commissioning. We also need to give sufficient time for our operating teams and border agencies to be ready to operate this new and modern land border crossing between the US and Canada.”
The bridge spans the Detroit River, connecting southwest Detroit to northwest Windsor, Ontario. At 150 feet above the Detroit River and 720 feet high, the Gordie Howe will be the largest Canadian and U.S. land port along the border. It is also among the top 10 longest bridges in North America. The authority estimates about 6,000 people will commute to Detroit from Ontario each day by the bridge
The span, financed by the Canadian federal government, will compete with the privately owned Ambassador Bridge, providing direct access in the U.S. to I-75 and Interstate 96 in Detroit and in Canada to Ontario Highway 401.
The anticipated fall opening of the project had been questioned for months. In April, an analysis of the credit agency S&P Global Ratings cited potential construction delays with the U.S. Customs Port of Entry as well as the multiple links to the bridge in southwest Detroit.
laguilar@detroitnews.com
