DETROIT — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Wednesday that the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge across the Detroit River could be delayed, but maintained that "there's no big drama."

"Everyone is working hard to make sure the bridge is open as soon as possible," Carney told reporters in Ottawa on Wednesday, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.

"If it takes a little longer, it'll take a little longer. This will benefit Canadians, Americans, businesses, tourists and residents for decades and decades to come," he said.

Carney, a day earlier on Tuesday, had said the $4.7 billion, six-lane span would "be open at the end of the week." Two sources with knowledge of the bridge timeline told The Detroit News on Monday that the plan was to open the bridge to traffic on June 15.

But the White House said Tuesday a timeline hadn't been finalized and that the "president's position on the Gordie Howe bridge has not changed."

"The administration remains committed to securing the best possible deal for the American people," the White House said in a statement to the CBC.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday afternoon suggested to reporters that he might not renew the United States-Mexico-Canada free trade deal. He made no mention of the Gordie Howe Bridge.

"We don't need anything that Canada has. We don't need anything that Mexico has. But they need everything that we have. And they have to treat us better," Trump said in the Oval Office. "We don't need their cars. We don't need their lumber. We don't need their energy. We don't need anything that they have."

Formal invitations began going out to dignitaries and other officials Tuesday for Friday's 1 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony from the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which oversaw the construction of the 1.5-mile bridge between Michigan and Ontario. The News first reported on Monday morning the plans for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The 1.5-mile-long bridge has been in the works for decades as an alternative to the privately owned and aging Ambassador Bridge. Urgency to build the new bridge gained momentum after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.

The new span was financed by Canada, and the construction started in 2018. But its planned spring opening had been in doubt after Trump threatened to block it back in February, demanding concessions from Canada in trade talks or a share of future toll revenue. Michigan and Canada share equal ownership of the bridge, but Canada gets all of the revenue until the debt is paid off.

The White House this week had appeared to be moving forward with an agreement to open the span following a conversation between Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, and Susie Wiles, who is chief of staff to Trump, according to two sources who were not authorized to speak publicly.

In Washington, Ontario Premier Doug Ford was asked Tuesday if the bridge would open, and he said, “I hope so,” according to Bloomberg.

Ford later added: “Let’s see what really happens.”

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