Trump threatens to block opening of new bridge between Windsor, Detroit

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Monday to “not allow” a new bridge linking Windsor, Ont. and Detroit, Mich., to open, saying that Canada should first offer compensation.

In a social media post made Monday evening, Trump said the U.S. will “immediately” start negotiations over the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which was set to open later this year.

He said the U.S. should own “at least one half of this asset.”

The post alleged that Canada had treated the United States “very unfairly” for decades.

It also said Canada owns both the Canadian and American sides of the bridge, which he said was built with “virtually no U.S. content.”

The Government of Canada website says it’s funding the entire project, which will be publicly owned by both Canada and Michigan, delivered by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority through a public-private partnership.

The single-span structure was developed to have six lanes for vehicular traffic, and accommodations for pedestrians and cyclists.

Connecting Ontario’s Highway 401 and Michigan’s Interstate 75, the bridge was designed to encourage trade and investment between the two countries.

The project is expected to cost $6.4 billion, up from the original $5.7 billion.

With files from The Canadian Press.

READ MORE: Air Canada suspends flights to Cuba amid fuel shortage