7,500 vehicles crossed the Gordie Howe International Bridge on Day 1; here are some reactions
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Crossing the newly opened Gordie Howe International Bridge was a goal years in the making for Robert Pelowski, who recalls being in elementary school when the project was first announced.
It was a goal he achieved on Monday.
Roughly 7,500 vehicles crossed the bridge in the first 12 hours it was open, according to the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, and Pelowski was in one of them.
“Just watching the structure go up from when I was a kid all the way up to today, standing here with all these people crossing in 2026 was absolutely amazing,” said Pelowski, who hails from Southgate, Mich., shortly before crossing over to Windsor. “I had to be here to see one piece of history come to life.”
The opening of the bridge has been highly anticipated by people on both sides of the Detroit River. The new six-lane bridge promises to expedite traffic between Windsor and Detroit and is equipped with up-to-date x-ray imaging facilities.
For many on both sides of the bridge, the sheer size and visibility of the structure also make it a new landmark for the area.
Joining Pelowski were countless Canadians, some of whom travelled hours to be among the first to cross the international span.
Kyle Morrow and his son, Theo, were among the first Canadians to cross the Gordie Howe bridge after it opened on Monday. The elder Morrow said it was Gordie Howe’s connection to Cambridge, Ont., where he and his son, Theo, live, which inspired him to make the crossing. (Christopher Ensing/CBC)
Kyle Morrow and his son, Theo, made the trip to Windsor from Cambridge, Ont., on Sunday evening, crossing into Detroit on Monday morning via the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
“We wanted to be here on the very first day that it opened, be part of the group of first Canadians to cross it,” the older Morrow told CBC shortly before his first crossing
An alternative to the Ambassador Bridge
For many first-time crossers, the Gordie Howe bridge offers a more appealing alternative to the nearly-century old Ambassador Bridge, directly connecting Ontario’s Highway 401 to the American I-75.
“I think the biggest thing for me is the ease from Canada onto the bridge, the ease of access to just go from the 401 right onto that bridge,” said Jim Pereira, who drove the first transport truck across the Gordie Howe for Windsor’s Onfreight Logistics.
“All my experiences are driving across the Ambassador Bridge or any other bridge; it seems like you were very tight.”
LISTEN | Meet the first Windsor trucker to cross the Gordie Howe International Bridge:
Afternoon Drive7:03Meet the first Windsor trucker to cross the Gordie Howe International Bridge
Jim Pereira is a fleet safety manager with Windsor’s Onfreight Logistics. He shares what it was like to be behind the wheel of the first commercial vehicle to cross the Gordie Howe International Bridge.
For Pelowski, the politics surrounding the bridge’s opening also drove him away from using the Ambassadors bridge. Earlier this year, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block the opening of the bridge; the Maroun family, which owns and operates the Ambassador Bridge, have fought for years to block the new span.
“This bridge has been one of the biggest things that’s really key for our economic development but also for people to have access between [both of our] countries,” he said. “To be using it for a political football to make sure Donald Trump and his billionaire friends are getting their cut of the profit on this bridge is absolutely sickening.”
A name extending beyond politics
Morrow said the significance of naming the bridge after Gordie Howe shouldn’t be lost on people, adding the honour goes far beyond politics. He said it was Howe, who began his career in Cambridge playing for the Galt Red Wings, who inspired him to make the trip.
“The Gordie Howe Bridge is very special to us because Gordie Howe actually has a deep connection to Cambridge,” Morrow said.
“This should be much, much more than politics. And this bridge will be here much longer than any of us.”
Speaking with CBC’s Afternoon Drive, Pereira agreed with Morrow, adding the second he successfully crossed the bridge, the political climate of the moment seemingly disappeared.
“There’s a giddiness about today that I felt when I was going across the border,” he said, recalling his wife telling his granddaughters that he would be the first commercial freight driver to cross the bridge.
“[Pereira’s wife] told the girls about it, and they said that your grandkids there will be able to tell everybody that their… grandpa was the first to cross in his truck. And that kind of hit me big time.”
