Gordie Howe bridge to offer pre-paid tolls to keep vehicles moving

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When North America’s longest cable-stayed bridge opens in less than 12 months, you may not have to stop to pay the toll.

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Gordie Howe International Bridge users will be able to set up a payment account ahead of their trip, place an electronic tag on their vehicles, and cross through a toll booth in seconds. The funds will be automatically withdrawn from their account, said Heather Grondin, chief relations officer with the Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority.

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“They don’t even need to stop their car fully,” Grondin told reporters following an update on the bridge project at Mackenzie Hall on Wednesday. “It’s going to help with that efficiency that we’re really trying to achieve with this bridge.”

More information about the account system will be shared in the spring, Grondin said. What those toll rates will be to drive between Windsor and Detroit, she said, will be announced closer to the bridge’s grand opening next fall. 

“Once we open, vehicles will be able to travel from Montreal to Florida without ever having to stop at a traffic light.”

Construction on the $6.4-billion bridge spanning the Detroit River began six years ago. The main deck officially joined the Ontario and Michigan sides in June, making the bridge an official international crossing and secure corridor.

“It’s really exciting for all of the project team members to be at this stage,” Grondin said. “Many people have worked on this project since construction started in 2018, and to see the end day so close to us — it’s a lot of really excited people looking forward to getting through 2025.”

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In Windsor, construction is underway on all 11 Canadian port of entry buildings and structures, with ongoing drywall, trim, and flooring work. Paving is taking place throughout the site.

As for the Michigan interchange, all four road bridges are complete and open to traffic at Springwells Street, Green Street, Livernois Avenue, and Clark Street. Five pedestrian bridges are at various stages of construction, and work continues on the I-75 to U.S. port-of-entry connection ramps.

Also on the U.S. side, all 13 buildings and structures are under construction, with interior finishing underway, including painting and the installation of light fixtures, desks, shelving and doors. The installation of primary inspection booths is ongoing. Grading and paving is happening throughout the site, and work on the Jefferson Avenue barrier wall is underway.

The bridge will open without a duty free shop, Grondin said, but bridge authority team members “continue to look at duty free options.”

On the bridge deck, paving and finishing is underway. The overlay, composed of latex-modified concrete, is five centimetres (nearly two inches) thick.

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Crews continue to pour the 27-cm (more than 10-inch) thick concrete layer for the bridge’s Canadian and U.S. approach spans. 

Also underway are the installation of electrical, fire suppression and drainage systems, safety features, and more.

The bridge will have six lanes: three Canada-bound and three U.S.-bound. The 2.5-kilometre span will include a multi-use path for pedestrians and cyclists that’s 3.6 metres wide.

At 53 hectares (130 acres), the Canadian side will be the largest port of entry along the Canada-U.S. border. It will include 24 inspection booths, outbound inspection facilities, and all toll collection facilities for both U.S. and Canada-bound traffic.

The U.S. port of entry will be one of the largest such border facilities in North America at 68 hectares (167 acres). It will have 36 primary inspection booths, outbound inspection facilities, and commercial exit control.

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