The $4.7 billion Gordie Howe International Bridge opened to public motor vehicles at noon on Monday, July 27.
The new six-lane cable-stayed span establishes a direct highway-to-highway link between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario, across the Detroit River.
Connecting Interstate 75 in Michigan directly to Highway 401 in Ontario, the bridge is expected to handle significant commercial and passenger traffic.
It bypasses local neighborhood streets in southwest Detroit, where congestion from border traffic has long been an issue.
Toll and Inspection Facilities
The international crossing features 36 primary inspection booths at the U. S.
Port of Entry.
At the Canadian Port of Entry, there are 24 primary inspection booths alongside 16 dedicated toll collection booths.
Tolls are collected exclusively on the Canadian side in Windsor.
For standard personal vehicles, the toll costs $5.75 in U. S.
currency or $8.00 in Canadian currency.
Discounts are offered through the Breakaway electronic payment system.
Personal vehicles with trailers pay an additional $8.00 per trailer in Canadian dollars or $5.75 in U.
S. dollars.
Large commercial and passenger vehicles are charged $12 per axle in Canadian dollars or $8.75 per axle in U.
S. dollars.
Hazardous and oversized vehicles also pay $12 per axle in Canadian dollars or $8.75 per axle in U.
S. dollars.
Traffic and Community Impact
Projections by the U. S.
Department of Homeland Security indicate the new infrastructure will absorb roughly one-third of regional border traffic.
This includes 44.5% of freight traffic previously relying on nearby alternative routes.
Law enforcement officials emphasized safety and preparation for motorists during the initial opening period.
“Whether you're attending the opening events or simply traveling through the area, please plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and be patient with fellow motorists,” Michigan State Police said.
Local officials expressed optimism regarding the potential reduction of commercial truck congestion on residential side streets near the border zone.
“I hope it's an improvement for sure,” said Detroit City Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero, whose district includes southwest Detroit.
Santiago-Romero noted the intentional infrastructure design intended to route heavy vehicles away from residential areas.
“I hope with the way that it was built out, going directly to the freeways, keeping the routes outside of our neighborhoods should be helpful.
So exciting and a little daunting,” Santiago-Romero said.
Community advocates highlighted that while long-distance freight will shift to freeway connections, localized industrial traffic remains a key factor for neighborhood air quality.
“All places in the neighborhood are not the same,” said Simone Sagovac, director of the nonprofit Southwest Detroit Community Benefits.
“Residents in Delray near the new customs plaza will have to deal with up to 10,000 trucks a day.”
Sagovac pointed out that surrounding industrial facilities will continue generating local vehicular traffic outside the main freeway corridor.
“It won't be long-distance trucks already on the highway to the bridge, but trucks from the local industries,” Sagovac said.
Engineering officials confirmed that extensive ramp designs were implemented specifically to prevent border-bound traffic from spilling into local municipal streets.
“The ramps were designed to minimize the impact of interstate/international traffic on local roads in the vicinity,” said Tara Carson, director of communications for the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority.
Public health experts noted that diesel emissions from heavy commercial transit have long presented environmental health concerns for surrounding Detroit communities.
“This has been a critical issue for Detroiters for over a century,” said Natalie Sampson, associate professor of public health at the University of Michigan, Dearborn.
Sampson emphasized that extensive public health research consistently documents the environmental risks associated with heavy vehicle exhaust.
“We've got thousands upon thousands of epidemiological studies that say the same thing, and we know that these impacts are: Diesel exhaust contains harmful pollutants, black carbon, metals, toxins,” Sampson said.
Motorists crossing the border must present valid identification, such as a passport or enhanced driver's license.
The bridge's toll-free multiuse pedestrian and bicycle path is scheduled to open on Wednesday, Aug. 5.
