Traffic still does not move on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, even as steel and concrete stand finished over the Detroit River. The crossing was built to ease one of the most congested trade corridors in North America, yet months pass without the official opening date for cars and trucks.
The holdup has less to do with construction and more to do with politics. Border agencies still control the formal approval, but the political message coming out of Washington matters just as much.
When the president publicly signals opposition, officials lower down the chain slow down, wait, and avoid making the final call. Until that signal changes, the bridge stays empty.
Who Controls The Opening Date At The Detroit Windsor Border?
At this stage, the bridge exists as infrastructure. What it still lacks is permission to function.
US Customs and Border Protection controls the final step.
CBP decides when a crossing becomes operational. That decision comes through a formal operational notice.
Without it, cars and trucks cannot legally enter inspection lanes, even if every piece of visible construction looks finished.
CBP reports through the Department of Homeland Security, which places the agency inside the executive branch.
Politics matters at that level, but the opening itself happens only when CBP staff responsible for border operations sign off.
What Border Officials Have To Clear Before The First Car Crosses?
The checklist focuses on whether the crossing can operate safely, securely, and without failure from the first hour onward.
Systems That Must Work On Day One
- inspection lanes configured and tested
- traffic control and lane management
- communications running between booths, command centers, and partner agencies
- inspection technology connected to federal databases
People Who Have To Be In Place
- officers assigned specifically to the new crossing
- supervisors trained on site procedures
- full shift coverage scheduled for continuous operation
- coordination protocols set with Canadian counterparts
Security That Has To Be Proven
- surveillance systems live
- access control locked down
- emergency response plans tested
- enforcement procedures rehearsed
A border crossing only opens when both sides are ready.
Canadian border agencies must match the US side in staffing, systems, and procedures. One plaza cannot function without the other.
Why Port Of Entry Status Causes Confusion?
The bridge already carries a legal designation as a port of entry. That label allows agencies to prepare, staff, and test. It does not authorize traffic.
That distinction gets lost in public debate.
Port of entry means the crossing exists in law. Operational notice means vehicles can use it. The gap between those two steps explains why a finished bridge can still sit empty.
Why The Bridge Still Lacks Final Approval?
US Customs and Border Protection still has to complete operational readiness. That means inspection lanes, systems, staffing, and coordination with Canada all have to be cleared together.
Until that clearance happens, CBP does not issue the opening notice, and traffic stays off the bridge.
Testing and staffing remain the two main reasons the process drags. Systems get checked under real traffic conditions. Officers and supervisors must be assigned and trained for a new crossing. Any delay in either area pushes approval back.
Canada has to reach the same point at the same time. One side cannot open alone. Until both sides line up, the bridge stays closed.
Can Trump Saying No Really Keep The Bridge Closed?
Yes, for a period of time.
A public refusal from President Trump can delay the opening even without a formal order.
The final decision rests with US Customs and Border Protection, yet the agency operates under political leadership appointed by the White House.
When the president openly opposes the opening, federal officials tend to slow the process rather than push it forward. Reviews take longer, staffing plans remain unresolved, and the final operational notice does not get issued.
Nothing officially stops, but nothing finishes either.
Recent moves from Trump toward Canada have centered on trade tensions and tariff disputes. He has publicly criticized Canadian dairy tariffs and signaled opposition to agreements he views as unfavorable to U.S. producers, adding strain to long-standing economic discussions between the two countries.
Conclusion
The Gordie Howe International Bridge stands ready, yet its opening depends on a decision that has not been taken.
Border agencies continue technical preparation and staffing, while the political climate in Washington weighs on when the final approval feels safe to issue.
A change in that climate could clear the way quickly, because the remaining steps are administrative rather than structural.
Until then, the bridge remains closed.
