Normally, ribbon cutting ceremonies are highly visible opportunities for fanfare and celebration. Unless its the ribbon cutting ceremony for America’s latest border crossing with its second-largest trading partner, that is. The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the Gordie Howe International Bridge — the new span connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario — could quietly open this week.
The bridge itself has been essentially complete since February, CBC reports, the same month President Donald Trump, in a Truth Social post on the 9th, vowed to block the opening of the bridge. “We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset,” Trump wrote.
America doesn’t own half of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, because we didn’t spend a single dime on the span. Instead we allowed our own oligarchs to throw wrench after wrench into the process of building it, in the hope of protecting their private money pile generated each year over the nearly century-old Ambassador Bridge. Michigan built a ramp and a new border crossing pavilion, but Canada spent $4.7 billion to build this bridge. The country aims to recoup the costs via tolls.
Our neighbors to the north were nice enough to name the bridge after a hockey legend on both sides of the Detroit River: Gordie Howe, a Canadian national and one of the most famous players to ever don a Detroit Red Wings jersey. Not only that, it’s a beautiful bridge, and it’s been fascinating to watch it rise over the water.
A secret stretch
The Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority vowed to open the bridge this spring at the latest, but was keeping the timing under wraps after the vital piece of infrastructure became yet another bargaining chip in the president’s onslaught on our allies and trading partners. The Free Press broke the news that the bridge could have a ribbon cutting ceremony this Friday, based on two sources familiar with the event. But ribbon cuttings usually come with a lot more PR than this unconfirmed leak. If opening day is this Friday, it seems some stakeholders are being kept in the dark. From the Freep:
John Roach, a spokesman for Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield, told the Free Press he was not aware of any scheduled bridge event. The Michigan Department of Transportation referred an inquiry to the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority, which did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment from the Free Press. The Free Press left a message with a media contact for Whitmer’s office.
Does it feel like this bridge isn’t being treated like the very big deal it is? The Ambassador Bridge is currently responsible for $400 billion in trade each year. Cars and parts from the Big 3 automakers pass over the bridge multiple times before they’re complete and then there are the thousands of people who commute every day between the two nations. The Bridge is old and often backed up clear down the freeway with truckers waiting to cross. It also spits drivers out directly on to I-75 south and to all all the population points beyond. The closest alternative bridge in Port Huron adds two hours travel time for truckers, at a minimum. For some reason, Trump has been particularly antagonistic towards our closest trading partner, calling the country the “51st State” and belittling their sovereignty as a nation.
The Free Press reports that current Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, who was in office when a deal to build the bridge was reached, should be in attendance at this event. Big names, but this seems like the sort of thing a federal official would be at as well. This should be a moment of celebration for everyone involved, and for the two cities the bridge connects. Instead it’s being treated like a shotgun wedding. Oh well. Maybe Trump’s forgotten all about the big bridge, at least, that seems to be the hope.
