Sarnia, Ont., border crossing surpasses Ambassador Bridge in commercial truck traffic

The Crown corporation that manages several international bridges in Ontario says a border crossing in Sarnia has overtaken the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor as the busiest for commercial traffic.

The Federal Bridge Corporation says the Blue Water Bridge has had the most commercial trucks crossing the Canada-U.S. border since late 2024.

Data from the corporation shows the Ambassador Bridge was the busiest for decades but in 2025 saw about 1.8 million commercial trucks, compared to the Blue Water Bridge with 2.1 million.

So far in 2026, more than 299,000 trucks have crossed the Sarnia bridge, compared to roughly 287,000 at the Windsor bridge.

Federal Bridge Corporation spokesperson Alexandre Gauthier says the change could be attributed to a variety of factors, including optimized routes for cross-border shipping and stabilized toll rates at the Blue Water Bridge.

Gauthier says the Blue Water Bridge can provide a direct route for carriers travelling from the Greater Toronto Area to the U.S. Midwest and other areas, allowing them to bypass urban congestion.

“While it isn’t possible to know definitively the exact reasons behind every logistics company’s routing choices, we believe that time, reliability, and tolls ultimately drive these decisions,” Gauthier said.

Gauthier added the Crown corporation recently announced that toll rates at the Blue Water Bridge would remain unchanged for the upcoming fiscal year, which is aimed at providing stability for commercial carriers.

The toll rate for commercial trucks crossing the Blue Water Bridge is $7 per axle, and up to about $27 per axle at the Ambassador Bridge, which is owned by the wealthy Moroun family in the United States.

“By holding the line on rates, we ensure the bridge remains a highly competitive and cost-effective choice,” Gauthier said.

Meanwhile, the opening of a new bridge between Windsor and Detroit remains up in the air after U.S. President Donald Trump insisted in February that the United States be compensated by Canada, claiming it was built with virtually no U.S. content.

Prime Minister Mark Carney later said he spoke to Trump about the Gordie Howe International Bridge and expects the issue to be resolved, saying that both Canadian and American steel and workers were involved in its construction, which Canada paid for.

Officials with the Gordie Howe International Bridge have not provided a date for its opening but say it’s expected this spring.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 8, 2026.

Rianna Lim, The Canadian Press