By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON, June 11 (Reuters) - A new $4.7 billion bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario that was set to open in the coming days has been delayed, a bridge authority said on Thursday.
A formal ribbon-cutting had been planned for Friday for the Gordie Howe International Bridge, according to invitations seen by Reuters.
"Canada and the United States have agreed to delay the opening of the bridge, taking the necessary time to resolve any outstanding issues," the Windsor-Detroit
Bridge Authority said.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the new bridge will benefit Canadians, Americans, business, tourists and residents for decades. "Everyone's working hard to make sure the bridge is open as soon as possible. There's no big drama if it takes a little longer, it'll take a little longer," Carney said.
The White House has not commented.
U.S. President Donald Trump in February threatened to block the opening.
Trump in February cited Canada's refusal to stock some U.S. alcoholic beverages on Canadian store shelves, Canada's tariffs on dairy products and its trade talks with China as grounds for why he might not allow the bridge to open.
Construction of the bridge, which began in 2018, was financed by Canada because the U.S. refused to pay for it. The costs will be covered by tolls over 30 years.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said at a Senate hearing last week the department was "good to go" to staff the Gordie Howe bridge.
The new bridge will help ease truck traffic on the privately owned Ambassador Bridge into Detroit, the largest freight port on the U.S.-Canada border, which handled $126 billion of value traded by commercial trucks as of 2023.
It will cut 20 minutes off the crossing time, saving truckers $2.3 billion over 30 years, according to a University of Windsor study.
Trump has made a number of threats against Canada in his second term and drastically hiked tariffs on the U.S. northern neighbor and this week said he might not renew a free trade deal with Mexico and Canada.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
