Nearly two weeks after the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Gordie Howe International Bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ont., was abruptly canceled, one crucial question remains unanswered:
Why, after eight years of construction, twice as long as if you rewind to the start of the project, can’t America’s newest port of entry open?
The six-lane cable-stayed bridge, with a main span of 2,799 feet, has cleared all obstacles that would normally threaten a megaproject. The entire $4.7 billion bridge is built. The ports of entry are full. The Michigan exchange is over.
On June 11, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority announced that Canada and the United States had agreed to postpone the opening to resolve unspecified “outstanding issues.” Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney later offered a partial explanation, saying the delay came at the request of the United States.
It’s now open day plus the 12th, and neither the bridge authority, US Customs and Border Protection nor the Department of Homeland Security have publicly explained what those issues are or responded to ENR’s request for comment.
That silence matters.
There is, however, an Easter egg buried in a Social Truth post by President Donald Trump from February 9, where he stated that he would not allow the bridge to open until the United States was “fully compensated.” He claimed that the United States should own “at least half” of the asset and argued that Canada was taking advantage of the United States.
Four months later, about to be launched, the opening was postponed by Washington. It is unknown if these events are connected, as federal officials have refused to explain in any way.
The public record, however, tells a different story. Under the 2012 crossing agreement, Canada financed 100% of the construction of the bridge, as well as the US port of entry and the Michigan interchange, including the acquisition of necessary land in Michigan. Ownership is shared between Canada and Michigan.
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None of this proves that the delay is political. But in the absence of an explanation, federal officials have left the public with little else to evaluate. If Trump’s financial objections aren’t the problem, what is?
Jurisdiction over international border crossings is undisputed: the federal government is responsible. At issue is whether Washington must justify its action to maintain a completed infrastructure asset, designed to support billions of dollars in annual trade and hundreds of thousands of jobs linked to cross-border trade, since opening.
Publisher
ENR’s editorial board spoke out against the political interference that threatened to derail the Hudson River Tunnel project.
Credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
The stance also creates greater concern for the construction industry.
Major infrastructure projects depend on confidence that government commitments will survive changes in political leadership. The Gateway Hudson River Tunnel project raised similar concerns when a suspension of federal funding threw uncertainty into a project whose funding and approvals had long been thought settled by its backers.
Gateway officials said the outage cost “millions of dollars” in site maintenance costs, delayed contract awards and disrupted production schedules. The lesson was simple: uncertainty comes at a price.
More irritatingly, Gateway involved a project moving toward construction. Gordie Howe is complete.
The projects are different, but the concern is the same. Investment in infrastructure depends on trust that governments will act consistently, transparently and in accordance with established commitments. When officials reopen settled questions, or refuse to explain their decisions, trust atrophies.
The Gordie Howe Bridge may open tomorrow. Maybe it will open next month. Ultimately, the explanation may turn out to be commonplace.
But until federal officials explain why a completed bridge isn’t being used, the real story isn’t the delay, but the absence of a reason.
