![Gordie Howe Bridge: Opens July 27](https://cdn.slatesource.com/1/a/d/1ad5e7a8-a403-43cb-9508-8a3df07cb664.webp) # Gordie Howe Bridge: Opens July 27 - [Made in Slatesource](https://slatesource.com/@steph/gordie-howe-bridge-opens-july-27) - By [Steph](https://slatesource.com/@steph) - Created on Jul 31, 2026 Main span 853 m, longest cable-stayed span in North America Total length 2.5 km across the Detroit River Tower height 220 m, each tower shaped like a hockey stick mid-slapshot Cable stays 216 individual cables in a fan pattern Cost $6.4 billion CAD, financed entirely by Canada Lanes 6 (expandable to 8), plus a pedestrian and cycling path Projected lifespan 125 years LOADING COORDINATES... ## Why This BridgeBridge TookTook So LongLong The ideaidea of a secondsecond DetroitDetroit RiverRiver crossingcrossing was firstfirst raisedraised in the 1990s1990s. AfterAfter decadesdecades of studiesstudies and politicalpolitical argumentsarguments, constructionconstruction beganbegan in 20182018 underunder a Public-PrivatePublic-Private PartnershipPartnership betweenbetween the Windsor-DetroitWindsor-Detroit BridgeBridge AuthorityAuthority (a CanadianCanadian CrownCrown corporationcorporation) and BridgingBridging NorthNorth AmericaAmerica. CanadaCanada fundedfunded the entireentire projectproject: the UnitedUnited StatesStates nevernever contributedcontributed a dollardollar. A ribbon-cuttingribbon-cutting was plannedplanned for JuneJune 12, 20262026, invitationsinvitations had been sentsent, and then the dayday beforebefore the ceremonyceremony it was quietlyquietly cancelledcancelled. The MorounMoroun familyfamily, ownersowners of the rivalrival AmbassadorAmbassador BridgeBridge, had spentspent yearsyears lobbyinglobbying againstagainst the newnew crossingcrossing, and questionsquestions about toll-revenuetoll-revenue sharingsharing stalledstalled everythingeverything at the lastlast momentmoment. On JulyJuly 11, 20262026, CanadaCanada and the US reachedreached a dealdeal. JulyJuly 27 is nownow confirmedconfirmed. ![Travel photo 1](https://cdn.slatesource.com/1/8/3/183b67bd-524d-40e1-8ee5-2a51fb15fc68.webp) ![Travel photo 2](https://cdn.slatesource.com/4/8/e/48e1597b-1cf6-41b4-af2a-ab075a9c9c6b.webp) What to know before you drive across on day one 0% \- Toll: $5.75 USD per passenger car each way ($4.35 with a Breakaway account). Commercial trucks pay $8.75 per axle. Cash is not accepted: use a registered account or a credit card. \- Border formalities still apply. There is a full US Customs plaza on the Michigan side and a CBSA inspection on the Canadian side. Bring a passport or NEXUS card. Crossing time should drop by about 20 minutes versus the Ambassador Bridge at peak. \- The pedestrian and cycling path is open from day one. The path runs the full 2.5 km span with 220-metre towers above you and 46 metres of clearance below. It is free to walk. \- The Ambassador Bridge stays open. The Gordie Howe Bridge does not replace it. The two crossings will complement each other, absorbing overflow and splitting commercial traffic from passenger vehicles. \- Revenue sharing: the US government receives 50 percent of toll revenue and holds a veto on any toll increase greater than 10 percent. Canada funds the 15-year economic development fund for communities on both sides of the crossing. The towers were designed to evoke a hockey stick at the moment of a slapshot. That was a deliberate tribute to the bridge's namesake. Gordie Howe played 25 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings and died in 2016, two years before construction began. He never saw a single cable installed. The 853-metre main span is the 10th-longest cable-stayed span in the world and the longest composite steel-and-concrete cable-stayed deck ever built. At its highest point the deck sits 46 metres above the Detroit River, enough clearance for the giant Great Lakes freighters that pass beneath it year-round. > I was able to cut a MUCH BETTER DEAL for America, allowing the new and spectacular bridge to open at the end of the month. The University of Windsor estimates the time savings from a less-congested crossing will generate $2.3 billion in economic benefits over 30 years through reduced transport costs, better supply chains, and lower fuel consumption. That is roughly a $360 return for every dollar Canada invested. [Gordie Howe International Bridge: official site and opening updates](https://gordiehoweinternationalbridge.com/?utm_source=slatesource)