Carney says U.S. will split ‘modest’ Gordie Howe bridge net revenues after debt paid

When Carney was asked Thursday whether Canada will cover all of the bridge’s construction costs from toll revenue before splitting it with the U.S., the prime minister did not give a yes or no answer.

“It’s not splitting the tolls of the bridge. It is an agreement for 15 years to split net revenues. Splitting of tolls — any sharing of the toll revenue — won’t happen until all of the debt, all of the debt is repaid,” he said.

“We will split net revenues over the course of the first 15 years, and those net revenues are after operational costs, so it’s manning the toll booths, it’s maintenance, it’s snow removal — a series of other operational costs.”

Carney said his government expects that “after those costs for the first few years, net revenues will be modest. In fact, we expect them to be negative as traffic ramps up. So negative to modest in the first few years.”

“The underlying agreement that we have with Michigan remains the same, and so no sharing of tolls until all the debt is repaid,” he later added.

Some have interpreted this as meaning Canada will split net revenues with the U.S. only after tolls are used to repay Canada’s debt for the bridge’s construction, along with operational costs.

Others understand the deal as an immediate split of net revenues for 15 years, after which Canada would receive the revenue under an existing agreement to pay off its construction debt.

Carney also said Canada will benefit from the Trump administration’s plan to invest the U.S. share of the revenue in a regional economic development fund. He said this will increase bridge traffic and profits.

When Carney’s office was asked to clarify his comments, a spokeswoman said the prime minister had been clear.

A White House official speaking on background told The Canadian Press Trump signed a deal that will see bridge revenue flow to the United States before Canada fully recoups its costs.

The official said the original deal signed during the Obama administration would see Michigan receive toll revenue only after Canada fully recouped the cost of the bridge, plus depreciation and interest.

Trump’s officials also have said that the deal gives it toll-setting authority so that the U.S. can deny Canada the ability to increase or decrease tolls more than 10 per cent — effectively giving Washington a veto on any attempt to make taking the bridge cheaper than using the existing Ambassador Bridge.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 16, 2026.

— Written by Dylan Robertson in Ottawa, with files from Maan Alhmidi in London, Ont. and Kelly Geraldine Malone in Washington.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Carney says U.S. will split ‘modest’ Gordie Howe bridge net revenues after debt paid

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