Largest Canada-U.S. border crossing preparing to open in Ontario this year

The largest crossing on the Canada-U.S. border will welcome the first international traffic later this year via the enormous Gordie Howe International Bridge under construction in Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan.

Only eight months remain until the scheduled opening of the $6.4 billion infrastructure project, which will be the holder of multiple records when all is said and done.

The Gordie Howe Bridge project’s two halves connected in 2024, claiming the crown of the longest cable-stayed bridge span in North America.

In addition to this feat, the project will also introduce the single-largest crossing on the Canada-U.S. border once the bridge opens this September.

Spanning approximately 53 hectares/130 acres, the Canadian Port of Entry (POE) will become one of the largest ports of entry on the continent upon opening, with an enormous footprint that “allows for the installation of further technology and the addition of expanded border processing facilities,” according to the project team.

The Gordie Howe Bridge team released new images of the project captured in December, including an updated look at the bridge, as well as the new border facilities on both sides of the crossing.

Motorists using this new checkpoint will first cross through toll collection facilities for both U.S.-bound and Canada-bound traffic, with a canopy — housing eight tollbooths accepting payment via transponders, credit cards, and other electronic payment — designed to evoke the image of a wind turbine blade.

Non-drivers will also be able to cross the border using the bridge’s multi-use path, and the border checkpoint includes a dedicated CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) checkpoint for pedestrians and cyclists in its Client Processing Centre.

In a recent video on the border crossing, the project team explained that “as you cross the Gordie Howe International Bridge, you will find modern border capabilities that focus on a customer-centric experience with 24 primary inspection lanes separating commercial and non-commercial traffic, outbound inspection facilities, and on-site offices for government agencies to generate efficiencies for all travellers.”

Ramps approaching the new border crossing are now in place and road surfacing is progressing.

As impressive as the new Canadian POE will be, it won’t be quite as large as its sibling just across the Detroit River. The U.S. POE occupies an even larger site measuring approximately 68 hectares/167 acres.

The project was initially anticipated to welcome the first cross-border traffic in late 2024, though delays have pushed the opening timeline back by ten months, and construction is now expected to wrap in time for a September 2025 opening.