Montreal, Canada - A long-awaited new bridge between Canada and the US, threatened by President Donald Trump earlier this year, will open for public use in late July, officials said Friday.

On Saturday, President Trump congratulated and thanked the Canadian government in a Truth Social post.

"I was able to cut a MUCH BETTER DEAL for America, and by so doing, will be allowing the new and spectacular Gordie Howe International Bridge, spanning Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, to open on July 27th, as scheduled," he wrote.

"The original deal made was unacceptable to me! The new deal is great, and fair," he added.

Mexico Mexican politician denies being in hiding over US drug trafficking charges

Canada's Ministry of Infrastructure confirmed the opening in a similar statement, adding the bridge "will be a vital economic link between Canada and the US – generating billions of dollars in economic activity for decades to come."

The CAN$6.4 billion ($4.5 billion) bridge has been under construction since 2018. The project has been financed entirely by Canada and will be jointly owned by Canada and the US state of Michigan.

In February, Trump threatened to fully block the bridge, insisting that the US had been treated unfairly in its construction and that it should be "at least half" US-owned.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said last month the bridge's inauguration had been delayed indefinitely at the request of the US due to "technical issues."

The bridge is named after late Canadian-born National Hockey League and Detroit Red Wings star Gordie Howe, in what was meant to be a symbol of unity between the countries.