Here is some news that you would not read about every day: a new bridge between the United States and Canada is scheduled to open to the public as early as noon tomorrow, Monday, July 27, 2026.
New Bridge Between the United States and Canada Opens To the Public Tomorrow
The new bridge is officially called the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which is named after the only hockey player to have competed in the National Hockey League in five different decades from Wednesday, October 16, 1946 through Friday, April 11, 1980 at the age of 52 years and eleven days. Gordon Howe was born in Canada and died in the United States.
Toll rates for the Gordie Howe International Bridge — which connects what is already the busiest international land border crossing in North America between Windsor in Ontario and Detroit in Michigan — are as follows:
| Vehicle Category | Rate in Canadian Dollars | Rate in United States Dollars | Breakaway Rate in Canadian Dollars | Breakaway Rate in United States Dollars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Personal Vehicle
|
$8.00 | $5.75 | $6.00 | $4.35 |
|
Personal Vehicle with trailer
|
$8.00 + $8.00 per trailer | $5.75 + $5.75 per trailer | $6.00 + $6.00 per trailer | $4.35 + $4.35 per trailer |
|
Large Commercial and Passenger Vehicles
|
$12.00 per axle | $8.75 per axle | $9.60 per axle | $6.90 per axle |
|
Hazardous and Oversized Vehicles
|
$12.00 per axle | $8.75 per axle | $9.60 per axle | $6.90 per axle |
The cable-stayed bridge is six lanes wide and features a main span of 853 meters — which is the longest of its kind in North America — and extends approximately 2.5 kilometers. The bridge will be one of the most advanced and secure land border crossings in North America with modern ports of entry on both sides of the border equipped with advanced screening and border management technologies.
“To support this opening and ensure that benefits are felt on both sides of the border, Canada and the United States have agreed to a series of cooperative measures focused on toll governance and transparency, as well as investments in the region, including through the establishment of a 15-year economic development fund tied to a portion of profits from bridge operations”, according to this article at the official Internet web site of Gordie Howe International Bridge. “The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority will also work collaboratively with the Government of the United States on toll-rate adjustments, seeking concurrence for certain non-market related toll changes.
Pedestrians and bicyclists can cross the bridge between the two countries free of charge; but the Multi-Use Path is not scheduled to open until Wednesday, August 5, 2026.
Gordie Howe International Bridge will be operated by the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, which was created in 2012.
Final Boarding Call
I have crossed the border between Canada and the United States at least a dozen times this year alone — but obviously not in time for the opening of the new bridge.
At least this bridge should be open 24 hours per day, seven days per week — unlike the border crossing that I tried to use on a Sunday that was only open during certain hours Monday through Friday…
Source: Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority.
