The first personal vehicle has crossed the Gordie Howe International Bridge from Canada into the United States, with the Howe family completing the inaugural journey in honour of Gordie Howe, the bridge’s namesake.
The crossing came as the bridge officially opened on July 27, 2026, connecting Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan.
“Today is an exciting and historical day as we welcomed the first travellers to the Gordie Howe International Bridge. The vision and promise of a new border transportation system is now a reality for drivers heading to work, visiting family and friends, exploring our communities or moving goods. We couldn’t be prouder to receive cross-border travellers today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.”
Those were the words of Chuck Andary, interim chief executive officer and chief legal officer of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, in a statement issued the same day.
Canada and Michigan agreed to open the bridge on July 27 with the support of the United States government, according to a federal government announcement issued July 10. The bridge spans the Detroit River between Windsor and Detroit and is a six-lane, cable-stayed structure with a main span of 853 metres, described as the longest of its kind in North America, extending approximately 2.5 kilometres in total. The crossing includes new ports of entry on both sides of the border equipped with advanced screening and border management technologies.
The Windsor-Detroit corridor is the busiest international land border crossing in North America, with hundreds of millions of dollars in trade crossing it daily. To support the opening, Canada and the United States agreed to cooperative measures on toll governance and transparency, along with investments in the region, including a 15-year economic development fund tied to a portion of profits from bridge operations. The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority will also work with the U.S. government on toll-rate adjustments, seeking concurrence for certain non-market related toll changes.
The Honourable Gregor Robertson, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure and Minister responsible for Pacific Economic Development Canada, said the bridge “will create new opportunities, strengthen our economy, and bring economic benefits on both sides of border for generations to come,” adding that the project reflects “what Canada can accomplish when we come together with a shared vision.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said the bridge “has always been a great deal for our state,” noting that thousands of Michigan workers built the crossing, which she said will “speed up auto production, lower costs, ease traffic, strengthen agriculture, and give people on both sides of the border better-paying jobs and brighter futures.”
More details are available at https://gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com/.
