Lutnick leading charge on Gordie Howe Bridge ahead of delay: White House official

A White House official says Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been leading the charge in the Trump administration on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which has seen its opening delayed at the request of the United States.

Speaking on background, the administration official says Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer spoke with the White House recently about the bridge but was not given a green light for it to open.

Invitations had already been sent out for a ribbon cutting event that was supposed to take place today to mark the opening of the $6.4-billion bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit.

But on Thursday morning, the interim chief executive of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said Canada and the U.S. agreed to delay the opening as the two countries attempt to “resolve any outstanding issues.”

Another source who is not authorized to speak publicly about the matter says Lutnick and U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra intervened in the file.

The New York Times reported that Matthew Moroun met with Lutnick just before Trump issued a social media post in February threatening to block the bridge’s opening if the United States wasn’t compensated.

By Kelly Geraldine Malone