Toll rates have been announced for the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
The six-lane crossing between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit, Mich., is scheduled to open sometime this spring, creating a direct highway-to-highway link between Highway 401 in Ontario and Interstate 75 in Michigan.
Passenger vehicle tolls
Drivers of passenger vehicles will pay C$8 or US$5.75 per crossing at the new bridge.
Those enrolled in the Breakaway program will receive a 25 per cent discount, lowering the cost to C$6 or US$4.35 per trip.
The program also allows vehicles equipped with a Breakaway tag to move through toll lanes quickly, with charges applied automatically in just a few seconds.
Commercial vehicle rates
Commercial vehicles will also see discounted pricing through the Breakaway program.
The standard toll for trucks and other commercial vehicles at the Gordie Howe International Bridge will be C$12 or US$8.75 per axle.
Breakaway members will pay C$9.60 or US$6.90 per axle.
By comparison, the Ambassador Bridge currently charges US$20 per axle, or US$15 per axle for vehicles using electronic passes such as A-Pass or E‑ZPass.
Business prepaid accounts are also available and sign up is open. Companies interested in learning more can attend one of the open houses on either side of the border:
- March 23 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at SEMCOG (Woodward Room) at 1001 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Mich.
- March 25 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ciociaro Club at 3745 N Talbot Road, Oldcastle, Ont.
How it compares to other crossings
The announced rates place the new bridge in line with, or slightly below, other existing border crossings in the region.
At the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel, drivers currently pay C$8.25 when entering the U.S. and US$9 when entering Canada.
With the Nexpress electronic toll program, those costs drop to C$5.90 to travel to the U.S. and US$6.75 when returning to Canada.
Meanwhile, the Ambassador Bridge charges C$14 or US$10 per passenger vehicle crossing.
“Toll rates have been determined based on a range of factors, balancing affordability and the amenities that the Gordie Howe International Bridge offers, including the number of lanes at the bridge and ports of entry, on-site inspection facilities and highway-to-highway connectivity,” said Heather Grondin, Chief Relations Officer at the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA).
“WDBA makes decisions based on its operating model, customer needs, and long-term sustainability and endeavoured to set an appropriate rate in accordance with its own mandate and its operating requirements.”
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