Canada celebrated the completion of the Gordie Howe International Bridge on Friday, a multibillion-dollar infrastructure project spanning the Detroit River that will serve as a vital corridor for trade and travel between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan. Traffic is set to open on Monday.

Officials gathered in Windsor with the six-lane bridge dominating the skyline behind them. One described it as "one of the most significant infrastructure achievements in Canada's history."

"Some days are remembered because they mark the end of a journey. Others are remembered because they mark the beginning of something entirely new. Today is both," said Chuck Andary, interim CEO of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, the agency that will operate the bridge.

Conspicuously absent from the ceremony were U.S. and Michigan representatives. Canada canceled a joint gathering after President Donald Trump this week abruptly announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods entering the United States. A soloist performed the Canadian national anthem, "O Canada," but the U.S. national anthem was not performed.

"It's regretful that we're at this point in time with our trade relationship. We're hopeful for better days ahead," Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens told WXYZ-TV in Detroit ahead of the ceremony.

The bridge arrives at a pivotal moment for cross-border commerce. More than 70% of Canada's exports go to the U.S., making America its largest trading partner, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Detroit ranks as the number one port for truck traffic along the U.S.-Canada border. The Windsor-Detroit corridor is especially critical to the integrated North American automotive industry, with vehicle parts and finished vehicles crossing the border multiple times during production under supply chains governed by the USMCA trade agreement that replaced NAFTA in 2020.

For nearly a century, the privately owned Ambassador Bridge has been the only crossing for large commercial trucks traveling between the two countries at Detroit. The Gordie Howe bridge will immediately introduce competition on that route — and add long-sought redundancy. In early 2022, protests blocking the Ambassador Bridge for nearly a week disrupted billions of dollars in cross-border trade, underscoring the vulnerability of relying on a single crossing for freight at the busiest commercial corridor on the U.S.-Canada border.

"It will be vital for our economy," Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said of the new bridge, sidestepping a question about whether it had become a "political football" in the strained bilateral relationship.

The bridge is named after Gordie Howe, the legendary Canadian hockey icon who starred for the NHL's Detroit Red Wings. He died in 2016. Construction began in 2018 and was delayed in part by the global slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The structure spans 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) and rises 151 feet (46 meters) above the Detroit River at its highest point. Pedestrians and bicyclists carrying proper identification will be able to cross free of charge beginning in a few weeks.

Canada funded the bridge's construction at an estimated cost of $6.4 billion. Under a recent agreement, Canada will share some toll revenue with the U.S. government for 15 years. Michigan is also entitled to a share, but not until Canada's costs are recovered — a milestone likely decades away.