More than 41K crossed Gordie Howe bridge into Canada in first 5 days: StatCan

Statistics Canada reported that more than 41,000 individuals crossed the newly opened Gordie Howe International Bridge from the United States into Canada during its first five days of operation. From July 27 to 31, 18,900 Canadian residents made return trips to Windsor from Detroit, while 18,100 U.S. residents traveled to Canada.

Additionally, 4,100 commercial trucks utilized the bridge to enter Canada from Detroit. The other border crossings in the area, such as the Ambassador Bridge and the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel, recorded a combined 52,700 inbound trips by Canadians and U.S. citizens over the same period, with 31,500 return trips by Canadian residents alone.

This information was released as part of a broader analysis of cross-border travel in July, which showed an increase in both Canadian resident return trips and U.S. travel to Canada. The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimated that around 4,000 trucks crossed into the United States via the bridge during the same timeframe.

Despite delays and ongoing trade tensions, the Gordie Howe bridge was inaugurated on July 27, with the Canadian government bearing the entire construction cost and Michigan repaying the debt before sharing toll revenues. The bridge aimed to stimulate commercial and passenger traffic between the two nations and alleviate congestion for other regional crossings.