Largest Canada-U.S. border crossing presses on in Ontario as trade war looms

A massive new border crossing is taking shape in Ontario, set to become the single-largest port of entry on the Canadian side of the Canada-U.S. border when it opens later this year.

The enormous Canadian Port of Entry is slated to welcome the first cross-border traffic from the new $6.4 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge in September 2025.

But, oh, boy. The timing really ain’t great.

One of the most anticipated infrastructure projects in the country, the new crossing is racing towards completion amid uncertain times, with Canada-U.S. relations soured to a level that seemed unthinkable just weeks earlier. 

The bridge will close a key trucking gap between Detroit and Windsor by linking Ontario's Highway 401 and Michigan's I-75, though its importance to cross-border trade could take a huge hit before it even opens. 

The U.S. government's threats to impose 25 per cent tariffs on Canada and the Canadian federal government's planned retaliatory measures would likely combine for a catastrophic hit on the bridge's toll revenues that rely heavily on international trucking.

The bridge and ports of entry have received increased international attention in recent weeks amid deteriorating Canada-U.S. relations and mounting security concerns about the almost 9,000-kilometre border dividing the two nations.

Canadian and U.S. cooperation on the colossal project has been highlighted throughout construction, culminating in a mid-2024 ceremony where crews from both countries linked the two bridge halves into a unified structure spanning the Detroit River.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge has become something of a symbol of cross-border cooperation amid the threat of a trade war, appearing in political campaign material and frequently used as news B-roll for discussions about U.S. President Donald Trump's economic threats.

But despite all the doom and gloom on the news and concerns about a trade war's impact on the bridge, construction currently presses on.

The project team recently shared new aerial footage of the bridge's Canadian Port of Entry, which will be the largest border crossing facility anywhere in the country.

All buildings and booths at the Canadian Port of Entry site are now structurally complete, and landscaping work was already evident at the time the latest footage was captured in December.

You can learn all about the Canadian Port of Entry in a previous update on this element of the project.