The Gordie Howe International Bridge, in its first full month of operation, nearly topped the Ambassador Bridge as the busiest border crossing in Michigan, according to data from the Bridge and Tunnel Operators Association.
The Detroit River crossing counted 343,507 trips with passenger cars, trucks and buses, among other vehicles, inAugust 2026. The Ambassador Bridge, long the busiest crossing in Michigan, recorded 345,445 trips during the same time span, down from 492,944 from the same time last year.
Officials at both the Gordie Howe International Bridge and the Ambassador Bridge did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
August 2026 marked the first full month of operation for the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
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How many vehicles used Michigan's other border crossings?
The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel reported a decrease in traffic, the report says. About 282,880 vehicles crossed the border in August using the tunnel, compared to 343,114 last year.
Overall, 395,660 vehicles have crossed the newest span, which opened in July, while 3 million have crossed the Ambassador Bridge, as of Tuesday, Sept. 15.
In the Upper Peninsula, the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, which crosses the St. Marys River to Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, saw about 99,000 trips last month.
The Blue Water Bridge, which connects the cities of Port Huron, Michigan, and the village of Point Edward and city of Sarnia in Ontario, Canada, recorded about 333,986 vehicles.
What do you need to cross an international border?
Like all U.S.-Canada border crossings, those entering Canada require ID such as a passport, passport card, enhanced license, or NEXUS card to get across.
What is the Gordie Howe Bridge?
The Gordie Howe International Bridge, officials say, is already the largest trade crossing in North America.
The span has three travel lanes in each direction with a full-width, paved emergency lane going each way and the multiuse lane for cyclists and pedestrians.
The bridge features 24 primary inspection lanes/booths at the Canadian port of entry and 36 primary inspection lanes/booths at the U.S. port of entry, alongside 16 dedicated toll collection booths on the Canadian side.
Canada and Michigan share joint ownership of the Gordie Howe bridge under a deal struck in 2012 and effectively signed off on by then-President Barack Obama's administration.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Is Ambassador Bridge still busiest border crossing? Latest traffic
