The Gordie Howe International Bridge from Windsor to Detroit is not yet open to traffic, but that didn’t stop one man from crossing it this month.
In a statement to National Post, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said the incident, which took place on March 6, involved a 28-year-old Canadian who crossed from the Canadian side.
“Officers took the man into custody and determined through an initial investigation that he had crossed the bridge on foot from Canada,” a CBP agent said. “The man, who has a criminal history including prior sexual assault and theft convictions, was returned to Canada and barred from re-entry into the United States.”
The agent added: “The integrity of our international crossings is vital to our nation’s security. CBP officers work diligently every day to protect our borders, and this incident is another example of their commitment to safeguarding the homeland.”
Questions on how the man gained access to the bridge site in Canada were directed to Canadian authorities. The Canada Border Services Agency then directed questions to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. National Post has reached out for more information.
The bridge has been under construction since 2019, with several delays in its scheduled opening. Most recently, bridge officials said it would begin operations in early 2026, but did not give a precise date.
Last week, the
quoted Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority spokeswoman Heather Grondin: “While an opening date has not yet been set for the Gordie Howe International Bridge, the project team is progressing well toward opening (it) this spring.”
Grondin added: “The exact opening date depends on the completion of our ongoing quality reviews and testing and commissioning activities. We will provide an update once that information is available.”
The foot crossing was not the first time unauthorized traffic has made it onto the bridge.
, a transport truck was able to drive onto the bridge from the U.S. side before it was stopped by officers with the Canada Border Services Agency.
CBSA said the truck was intercepted before reaching the Canadian Port of Entry, and was turned around and sent back to the U.S. According to
, no firearms were drawn during the incident, and the driver did not face any legal penalty for accidentally driving on the bridge.
Last week, the new bridge released its
. Small and medium-sized passenger vehicles will pay $5.75 to cross, with trailers costing an additional $5.75. Large passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles will have to pay $8.75 per axle.
The price is less than the existing
, which charges $10 for cars, buses and motorcycles, with trailers adding another $10.
Meanwhile, RCMP are reporting the arrest of three migrants at the Manitoba border, with help from the local community.
In a press release, RCMP said that at about 8 a.m. on March 10, officers from its Federal Policing Northwest Region’s Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET) in Manitoba responded to a citizen report of two possible migrants traveling on foot along highway near Neuenberg, just north of the border with North Dakota.
“As officers patrolled the area, the migrants were located at the hospital, and both were confirmed to have crossed into Manitoba from the United States,” RCMP said. “Following treatment for what were described as minor cold-related injuries, the two migrants were arrested without incident and transferred to the custody of the Canada Border Services Agency.”
While at the hospital, IBET was advised of another possible migrant who had gone to a nearby business seeking transportation to Winnipeg.
“IBET was en route to the scene, and with support from the
RCMP
’s Black Hawk helicopter, which was already conducting aerial patrols in the area, officers located the migrant hiding in an unlocked parked vehicle,” RCMP said. “IBET arrested and transferred the migrant to the custody of CBSA without incident.”
Then at about noon, police
received a report of a suspicious person loitering outside a school in the Rhineland area nearby. “Upon arrival, the individual was arrested for human smuggling, taken into custody and later released without charges,” the RCMP said. Police added that the matter remains under investigation, and that they have no further comments at this time.
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