Skip to Content News Archives Economy Energy Oil & Gas Renewables Electric Vehicles Mining Commodities Agriculture Real Estate Mortgages Mortgage Rates Finance Banking Insurance Fintech Cryptocurrency Work Wealth Smart Money Wealth Management Investor Personal Finance Family Finance Retirement Taxes High Net Worth FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials More Innovation Information Technology FP500 Podcasts Small Business Lives Told Tails Told Shopping Financial Post Store Obituaries Place a Notice Advertising Advertising With Us Advertising Solutions Postmedia Ad Manager Sponsorship Requests Classifieds Place a Classifieds ad Working Profile Settings My Subscriptions Saved Articles My Offers Newsletters Customer Service FAQ News Economy Energy Mining Real Estate Finance Work Wealth Investor FP Comment Executive Women Puzzmo Newsletters Financial Times Business Essentials HomeTransportationThe Gordie Howe bridge opening that will save Canada’s trucking industry tens of thousands of dollars a month has been postponedNew bridge offers lower tolls and more efficient access to one of North America’s busiest trade corridorsLast updated 44 minutes ago You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.Traffic is shown near the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Photo by Dan JanisseCanada’s trucking industry says it is eager for the Gordie Howe International Bridge to open, even as officials on both sides of the border announced that the long-awaited crossing’s debut will be delayed while outstanding issues are resolved.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O'Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world's leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Accountor“Canada and the United States depend on cross-border trade for their economic prosperity, and every day the bridge’s opening is delayed comes at a cost,” said Stephen Laskowski, chief executive of the Canadian Trucking Alliance and Ontario Trucking Association, in a media release Thursday morning.“At a time when businesses and consumers continue to face the mounting pressures of inflation, reducing supply chain costs and improving efficiency has never been more important. The longer the Gordie Howe International Bridge remains unavailable, the longer businesses on both sides of the border must absorb unnecessary expenses associated with congestion, delays, and longer transit times.”Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againLaskowski, who represents more than 5,500 carriers across the country, said his members could save tens of thousands of dollars per month through lower tolls and more efficient access to one of North America’s busiest trade corridors that links Ontario and Michigan.“Based on discussions with my members and board meetings, many of them are looking to align and already have opened accounts with the Gordie Howe bridge,” he said. “So you’re going to see, we believe, a significant shift in traffic towards the Gordie Howe bridge.” Trucks head to the Ambassador Bridge from Windsor on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Photo by Dan JanisseFreight traffic patterns in the area had already started changing, with the Blue Water Bridge in Sarnia, Ont., overtaking the Ambassador Bridge as the busiest commercial crossing between Canada and the United States for the first time in decades.Laskowski said he expects commercial traffic patterns to shift again when the Gordie Howe bridge finally opens since the addition of a third crossing will give carriers more options to choose from based on cost, convenience and efficiency.Commercial trucks currently pay about $7 per axle to cross the Blue Water Bridge while those crossing the Ambassador Bridge can pay roughly $20 per axle with a pass and up to $27 per axle without one. An auto hauler is shown on the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Photo by Dan JanisseOnce the Gordie Howe bridge opens, trucks with a Breakaway account will pay $9.60 per axle, while commercial vehicles without an account will pay $12 per axle.“It’s like anything in life where you introduce more competition and you have the flexibility based on your location and customer, you look at it,” Laskowski said. “At the end of the day, the trucking industry competes on pennies. They’ll look for every efficiency, so they’ll examine all three options and factor in location, destination, processing time, toll pricing.”The result, he said, should be a more efficient supply chain.“Ultimately, who wins? The consumer wins because we have a more efficient supply chain,” he said.Another major selling point for the Gordie Howe bridge is its direct connection between Ontario’s Highway 401 and Michigan’s Interstate 75.We're looking at a lot of improvements to the automotive supply chain, the agriculture supply chain, the commuter supply chain, the travel and tourism supply chain“The other productivity and efficiency improvements are related to the direct highway connection,” Laskowski said. “No more 10 traffic lights leading up to the Ambassador Bridge; direct highway connection between the I-75 and the 401.”Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens also expects a substantial redirection of commercial traffic from Huron Church Road, the main local artery leading to the Ambassador Bridge.“The day that the Gordie Howe bridge opens, you will see a significant diversion of traffic off Huron Church, especially truck traffic that will be using the Gordie Howe bridge, because it will be faster, it will be more efficient, it will be more seamless, a seamless way to cross,” he said.“There’s no doubt from a commercial perspective that the Gordie Howe bridge, because of its highway-to-highway connection and because of the technology that’s embedded in that crossing, you will see a significant diversion of commercial crossing from the Ambassador Bridge to the Gordie Howe bridge.” Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens speaks on Thursday, April 30, 2026. Photo by Dan Janisse /The Windsor StarThe Gordie Howe bridge was expected to open on Friday after Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday said the crossing would open this week. On Wednesday, several political and industry leaders said they had received invitations from the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) to a ribbon-cutting ceremony scheduled for Friday. However, the WDBA on Thursday morning said Canada and the U.S. have agreed to delay the opening in order to resolve any outstanding issues.The final stretch to opening the bridge has been overshadowed by questions about whether U.S. President Donald Trump will allow the project to proceed after he publicly threatened in February to block it unless negotiations over ownership and compensation took place.But an official at the Detroit Regional Chamber, which represents several thousand businesses in Michigan, said its members are eager to see the crossing open.“We’re looking at a lot of improvements to the automotive supply chain, the agriculture supply chain, the commuter supply chain, the travel and tourism supply chain,” Glenn Stevens Jr., the chamber’s chief automotive and innovation office and MichAuto program executive director, said.“We see it as an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between Canada and the U.S. in all those different ways. That is what this bridge enables, and it also symbolizes that partnership, too.” Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.