Key Takeaways

  • U.S. and Canadian officials announced in a press release Friday that the Gordie Howe International Bridge, connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, will open on July 27.
  • The opening comes about six weeks later than the originally planned June 12. To facilitate the bridge's opening, the U.S. and Canada have reached a series of new measures over the past few weeks regarding toll governance and a 15-year economic development plan funded in part by the bridge's operating profits.
  • Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said in the announcement that the bridge "will bring higher-paying jobs and a brighter future for people on both sides of the border," adding that it will "accelerate auto production, lower costs, ease congestion, and strengthen agriculture."

Deep Dive

U.S. officials had previously expressed concerns about how and when toll revenue would be distributed between the two countries. Initially, the U.S. expected to receive a share of operating revenue only after Canada recouped its investment in the multibillion-dollar, 1.5-mile bridge, a payback period expected to take decades.

Last week, however, the two sides agreed to "a series of cooperative measures focused on toll governance and transparency" and to use bridge revenue for regional investment, though the press release provided no further details. The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority will also work with U.S. officials on "toll rate adjustments" and seek consensus on certain non-market-related toll charges.

The Gordie Howe Bridge will add a second crossing between Detroit and Windsor, with the capacity to handle 400 commercial crossings per hour. A 2021 report by the Border Research Institute predicted the new bridge would speed up truck crossings, saving about 850,000 hours of wait time annually, resulting in billions of dollars in economic savings over the bridge's lifespan.

For decades, commercial traffic between Detroit and Windsor has relied on the nearby Ambassador Bridge, which handles about 40,000 crossings daily and carries $323 million worth of cross-border goods each day. The privately owned bridge is controlled by the Moroun family, which also owns Central Transport, a less-than-truckload carrier based in Warren, Michigan, and holds board seats at Universal Logistics Holdings and PAMT.

The additional truck crossing does not mean the end of the Ambassador Bridge, according to the institute. Its report noted that a second crossing between Detroit and Windsor provides necessary redundancy, adding: "With two bridges at the crossing, the possibility of a complete closure of the Detroit River crossing is essentially eliminated."

The Canadian Trucking Alliance said the Gordie Howe Bridge provides additional capacity, modern border infrastructure, and long-term resilience for the busiest commercial trade corridor between Canada and the U.S.

"For commercial trucking operations, the opening of the bridge represents an immediate boost in efficiency and reliability," the alliance said in a statement. "Modern customs facilities, expanded inspection capabilities, and direct highway-to-highway connections will help reduce congestion, improve border processing, strengthen supply chain security, and divert heavy commercial traffic away from Windsor's residential areas."

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association said the Gordie Howe Bridge is a critical upgrade to one of North America's busiest freight corridors.

"By adding capacity and reducing border congestion, this new crossing will help owner-operators spend less time waiting in traffic and more time safely hauling freight," Colin Long, OOIDA's senior director of government affairs, said in an emailed statement to Trucking Dive.