About 7,500 vehicles crossed the Gordie Howe International Bridge in the first 12 hours after it opened to the public at noon Monday (July 27), according to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA).
Driving the news: The 1.5-mile international span connects Detroit to Windsor, Ontario, at one of the busiest trade crossings in the country.
Plans for the bridge first sprouted around 2000-01, when talks began about handling an expected increase in traffic back then.
The countries made it official in 2012, and construction began in 2018.
Authorities announced the name in 2015, honoring Gordie Howe, aka Mr. Hockey, who grew up in Canada but lived a chunk of his life in metro Detroit.
Howe died June 10, 2016, at age 88. His Hall-of-Fame career included 801 goals in 1,767 games played in the NHL. He spent 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.
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For context: About $94.2 billion in trade moves across the Detroit-Windsor connect annually, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
A single assembly plant can receive 1,000 trucks per day, all on just-in-time schedules. But border delays can halt production.
Delays that lead to re-routing can cost up to $500 million per year, according to a WDBA-commissioned study.
And this bridge gives that supply chain a backup for the first time, and for dealers, that should amount to a more reliable pipeline.
Worth mentioning: Gordie Howe’s grandson, also named Gordie, and his wife Margaret drove the first passenger car, a red Dodge Charger, across the bridge. The Charger is made in Windsor.
Before that, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer completed a first ceremonial drive across the bridge in a black Mustang convertible.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer crossing the Gordie Howe International Bridge on July 27. (Courtesy Whitmer’s press office)
Her ride was built at Ford’s assembly plant in Flat Rock, and its engine in Windsor. (Some Mustang engines are built in Dearborn).
The Canadians hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday (July 24), but disinvited the U.S. due to tariff tensions. Political muck contributed to the several delayed openings of the bridge.
Whitmer said the bridge, which has some hockey stick-shaped supports, was an engineering marvel built by workers on both sides of the Detroit River.
"I ran for governor to build bridges between communities and make Michiganders' lives better," Whitmer said in a release. "I'm proud to celebrate the opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will do just that."
By the numbers: The bridge cost about $4.4-$4.7 billion and is the longest stay-cable bridge in the country.
The crossing includes 3 travel lanes in each direction, plus a full-width emergency lane on each side.
A path for bicycles and walkers opens on Aug. 5.
The bridge connects Interstate 75 in Detroit to Highway 401 in Canada.
Tolls are collected exclusively on the Canadian side, for travel in both directions.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in a Michigan-made Ford Mustang. (Courtesy Whitmer’s press office)
The governor’s press team gave CDG News a one-line answer when asked why that car got the call.
“The Ford Mustang is an iconic Michigan-made vehicle,” a spokesperson said.
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