Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens says the long-awaited opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge marks a “once in a lifetime” moment for the city, as traffic is expected to soon begin flowing on the new border crossing. Dilkens confirmed he has received an invitation to a ribbon cutting ceremony planned for Friday. “I’m excited that Friday looks like it’s a day that this project is going to move forward in a material way, something we’ve eagerly anticipated for many, many months now,” Dilkens told CTV News Windsor. The mayor said the opening carries major significance for Windsor, after decades of debate and years of construction. “I think everyone in Windsor, having watched and been through the last 25 years of all the trials and tribulations and for the last eight years watched the construction happen — seen the towers go up, watch the two sides meet in the middle — I know there’s a lot of folks in the community that are excited about this opening as well,” he said. The $6.5-billion bridge will connect Windsor and Detroit, creating a new international crossing in one of the busiest commercial border corridors between Canada and the United States. Dilkens said the project is especially important for the region’s economy and auto sector. “It’s great for our local economy being the home to the busiest commercial border crossing between the U.S. and Canada,” Dilkens said. “It’s great for the auto industry. It will be the bridge that is the most friction free in terms of crossing at the border.” He also pointed to the bridge’s multi-use path, which will allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross between Windsor and Detroit. “You think of the ability to ride your bike or walk across this bridge. It’s something we haven’t been able to do here for many, many decades,” he said. According to a copy of the invitation email shared with CTV News, the ribbon-cutting event is scheduled for Friday, June 12, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., with the announcement taking place on the Gordie Howe International Bridge deck. The invitation describes the event as “a significant announcement to mark the next step” for the bridge. It also says the event is invitation-only, with attendees required to register in advance and be pre-cleared by border agencies before being allowed access. Dilkens called the bridge one of the largest and most significant projects the city has seen. “It’s certainly a major project. It’s the type of project you see once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky,” he said. He said the bridge’s presence has already become part of Windsor’s skyline. “No matter where you go in the city of Windsor, you see the vista of the Gordie Howe Bridge somewhere,” Dilkens said. “Many, many families have been part of the construction here.” The anticipated opening follows months of uncertainty surrounding Canada-U.S. relations and cross-border trade. “I figured it was just a matter of time before the bridge actually opened,” he said. The Gordie Howe International Bridge will provide a third option for drivers and commercial traffic crossing between Windsor and Detroit, alongside the Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Multiple sources told CTV News Windsor on Tuesday that the bridge would open to traffic on June 15 at 6 a.m. Prime Minster Mark Carney said Tuesday that it would open this week, but on Wednesday suggested the opening could be slightly delayed.
