Commercial transport operators also utilized the new crossing on its first day.
Jim Pereira, a fleet safety manager with Windsor's Onfreight Logistics, drove the first transport truck across the structure.
"I think the biggest thing for me is the ease from Canada onto the bridge," said Pereira, noting the direct access from Highway 401.
He added that his grandkids will be able to say their grandpa was the first to cross in his truck.
Financial Records Questions Emerge
Alongside the opening day traffic, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority's 2024-25 annual report revealed that the federal government destroyed certain early cost records under standard retention schedules.
A footnote states that approximately $982,000 in early project costs from 2005 to 2009 were not retained, leading to their exclusion from the official Statement of Canadian Contributions.
"The Government of Canada's record retention policy requires that records be retained for a period of seven years; disposal of records is allowed after the retention requirement has been met," the annual report said.
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The report notes that aggregate Canadian contributions for the project reached $5.69 billion as of March 31, 2025, up from $4.53 billion the prior year, with total unrecouped contributions recorded at more than $6.3 billion.
