Gordie Howe Bridge Officially Opens, With Late Hockey Player’s Family the First to Cross

Gordie Howe family members cross the Gordie Howe International Bridge on July 27, 2026. Photo courtesy of Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority

Members of Gordie Howe’s family were the first to cross the new bridge linking Canada and the United States when it opened on July 27.

Howe’s grandson, also named Gordie, drove across the Gordie Howe International Bridge in a Dodge Charger. The Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) said the passenger vehicle “completed this inaugural journey in honour of Gordie Howe, the bridge’s namesake.”

Gordie Howe's grandson, also named Gordie, and his wife Margaret (R) pose in front of a Dodge Charger, before driving it across the Gordie Howe International Bridge on July 27, 2026. Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority

A vehicle from the Tecumseh trucking company Onfreight Logistics was the first commercial vehicle to cross the bridge. Cyclists and pedestrians will be able to cross starting on Aug. 5.

The bridge will serve the Detroit-Windsor corridor, which handles about 25 percent of Canada-U.S. cross-border truck trade and roughly $1 billion in daily commerce.

The new bridge has six traffic lanes, 16 toll lanes, and 60 inspection lanes. According to bridge officials, the toll will be $8 for a standard passenger vehicle and $12 per axle for commercial trucks, oversized vehicles, and larger passenger vehicles.

The opening of the bridge was delayed by the United States in June, while the two countries came to an updated agreement on how the bridge would operate. Canada will receive 50 percent of the bridge’s net revenue over the first 15 years, with the other 50 percent going toward an economic development fund for the region, controlled by the United States.

Under the original 2012 agreement, 100 percent of the tolls collected from the bridge’s operations would have gone to the Canadian government until Ottawa fully recouped the expenses from fronting the full cost of construction. After that, half of the toll revenue would go to the state of Michigan.

While a joint ceremony between Canada and the United States to open the bridge had been planned for July 24, Ottawa announced on July 21 that it would be “inappropriate to proceed with a celebratory event between the two countries” in the face of U.S. tariffs.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on July 20 that his country will impose 50 percent tariffs on Canadian alcoholic drinks, dairy products, and a variety of other goods. The White House said the measure was a response to Canada’s supply management system for dairy policies, provincial alcohol restrictions, and automotive trade rules.

U.S. President Trump announced on Truth Social on July 24 that it was “fine” for Canada to “disinvite”  the United States from the opening of the bridge, given that Canada is paying tariffs.

“The original deal on the bridge, which was terribly negotiated by a previous administration, no longer stands. We changed the terms of the deal so that the United States of America now gets 50 percent of the profit,” he added.