Gordie Howe bridge linking Windsor and Detroit opens to pedestrians and cyclists
Written by The Canadian Press on August 5, 2026
WINDSOR — The Gordie Howe International Bridge opened to pedestrians and cyclists under sunny skies this morning.
The cross-border bridge between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit opened to motorists last week after months of controversy over the project’s finances.
Officials say a Windsor man camped out for 28 hours to be the first Canadian to cross into the United States on the newly opened 2.5-kilometre path.
A man from Michigan was the first person to cross into Canada from the U.S. and received a celebratory certificate.
The bridge is named after Gordie Howe, a Canadian hockey player who played 26 seasons in the NHL, most of that time with the Detroit Red Wings.
Officials say lines for the multi-use path are long today but reassured people that the bridge has an estimated 125-year lifespan and there will be many opportunities to walk or bike across.
The project has been mired in political disagreement, with U.S. President Donald Trump insisting in a social media post in February that the United States would have to be compensated before he would allow the bridge to open.
A joint celebration with the U.S. to mark the bridge’s opening was cancelled over Washington’s recent threat of new tariffs on Canadian goods.
Liberal MPs have blocked parliamentary hearings aimed at clarifying what Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government promised Trump to get the bridge opened.
The proposed agreement in principle says Canada will share half of net toll revenues with the U.S. for the next 15 years.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 5, 2026.
The Canadian Press