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U.S.-Canada bridge opens even as trade disputes test ties
Detroit is the No. 1 port for truck traffic on the U.S.-Canada border
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A truck is parked during a Canadian celebration marking the Gordie Howe International Bridge on July 24 in Windsor, Ontario. (Paul Sancya/AP)
Key Takeaways:
- Traffic began July 27 on the Gordie Howe International Bridge linking Detroit and Windsor after Canada completed the multibillion-dollar cross-border project.
- The bridge adds a second Detroit truck crossing, where the Ambassador Bridge long handled commercial traffic and Detroit remains the busiest U.S.-Canada truck port.
- Canada funded the estimated $6.4 billion bridge and will share toll revenue with the U.S., while Michigan receives revenue after costs are recovered.
DETROIT — A major new bridge linking Canada and the U.S. at Detroit opened July 27 to trucks, cars and other vehicles, the climax of a yearslong project that lately had been bruised a bit by international politics.
Descendants of Gordie Howe, the hockey legend whose name is on the bridge, were among the first to cross over the Detroit River, which separates the Motor City from Windsor, Ontario.
The span, which was built by Canada at a cost of $6.4 billion Canadian, now becomes a less-expensive alternative to the privately owned Ambassador Bridge, which had a monopoly on big trucks carrying goods worth billions between the two countries, especially in service to the auto industry.
“There are thousands of trucks that go over" daily, said Kevin Ketels, a business professor who teaches supply chain management at Wayne State University.
Freddie Garrett, 81, said he regularly watched construction “ever since they put the foundation in” back in 2018. So naturally he showed up at Delray Park in Detroit to see the first vehicles moving overhead.
"It was amazing to see how they did it,” Garrett said. “They put up one section at a time and then they met together in the middle. I'm sure it will be there longer than I'll be around.”
🎊 The first commercial truck has crossed the #GordieHoweBridge from Canada into the US! 🎊
Onfreight Logistics is a Canadian logistics and trucking company located in Tecumseh, Ontario. They completed this trip carrying auto parts heading to Michigan. #GoHowe 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/mTAKuhQGEM — Gordie Howe International Bridge (@GordieHoweBrg) July 27, 2026
Last week, Canada celebrated the Gordie Howe International Bridge with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Windsor. U.S. and Michigan representatives were uninvited after President Donald Trump suddenly announced 50% tariffs on Canadian goods entering America.
More than 70% of Canada’s exports go to the U.S., making America its largest trade partner, and Detroit is the No. 1 port for truck traffic on the U.S.-Canada border, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The span is 1.5 miles long and rises 151 feet above the river at its highest point. Pedestrians and bicyclists will be able to cross it for free, starting Aug. 5.
🚘🚚 We’re open and welcoming cars & trucks to #GoHowe! Check out the travellers on opening day. 📣
Personal vehicles pay $8 CAD/$5.75 USD or $6 CAD/4.35 USD with #Breakaway
Large/commercial vehicles pay a per axle rate of $12 CAD/$8.75 USD or $9.60 CAD/$6.90 USD with Breakaway pic.twitter.com/eq8jez0WzV — Gordie Howe International Bridge (@GordieHoweBrg) July 27, 2026
Howe is a Canadian icon known as “Mr. Hockey” who wore No. 9 while playing for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings. He died in 2016.
A recent agreement between Canada and the Trump administration says Canada will share some toll revenue with the U.S. government for 15 years. Michigan separately negotiated a share in 2012, but it won't be paid until Canada’s costs are recovered, likely decades from now.
Written by Mike Householder and Ed White
