On April 12, 2013, the Obama administration granted Michigan the permit required to build the bridge, allowing construction to go forward once details were finalized. In May 2014, the United States Coast Guard issued a bridge permit, the final federal approval required. A Canadian federal Crown corporation, the Windsor–Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) began work in July 2014 to coordinate the bridge's construction and management.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said he spoke to his U.S. counterpart early Tuesday morning about the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which Donald Trump has threatened to block, explaining to him that Canadians paid for the bridge in full and that the Americans already have an ownership stake.
