3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 24
Summary
Friday’s opening was recast as a Canada-only event, with US officials absent and guests barred from crossing to the Detroit side before traffic begins Monday.
50% tariff threats from President Donald Trump and a fight over toll revenue sharing derailed a planned cross-border ribbon-cutting for the Windsor-Detroit span.
Trump said the US now gets 50% of bridge profit, while Prime Minister Mark Carney insisted Canada will not split toll revenue until the project’s debt is repaid.
A draft deal released Wednesday says net bridge and crossing revenue would be split for the first 15 years, though a 2012 agreement appears to support Canada’s repayment-first reading.
The bridge carries wider stakes beyond the ceremony: Windsor-Detroit handles C$274 million in daily trade, and the new span is meant to challenge the long-dominant Ambassador Bridge.