After years of construction and months of delays, the Gordie Howe International Bridge is officially open to traffic — and drivers wasted no time making history.
The first cars and trucks began crossing just before noon Monday, with members of the Howe family, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other dignitaries going through the tolls first.
The bridge officially opened to the public at noon.
First across the bridge
Fittingly, the very first car to cross was driven by Gordie Howe’s grandson — also named Gordie — and his wife, Margaret, who live in Ann Arbor. The couple rolled across in a red Dodge Charger.
“It was incredible,” Gordie Howe said. “It just feels surreal to be the people who were chosen to do that. Makes me think about all the people who’ve worked on this bridge and how happy everyone must be that this has come to fruition. It’s an honor to have been the first to cross.”
The first commercial truck to cross belonged to OnFreight Logistics.
Drivers come from all over
Drivers came from across the region just to say they were part of history. Bobby Ashley from Allen Park summed up what many were feeling.
“We’ve been waiting for a long time,” Ashley said. “It seems like forever.”
His wife, Angie Ashley, said the decision to make the trip was an easy one once they saw the ramp was open.
“We are excited,” Angie Ashley said. “We saw the ramp was open and we are like, ‘OK, we will take it.’”
Many were also struck by how uncrowded the crossing was.
“There was nobody there. It was just us,” said Cindy McGowan. “I thought, is it really open?”
“We felt like we were VIP,” Christine Wofford said. “We just cruised right in. The people were great.”
A piece of history crosses a brand-new bridge
Some drivers brought more than just excitement, they brought a piece of history. Dan Lemay of Tecumseh, Ontario, turned heads the whole way across behind the wheel of a 1929 Ford Model A.
The car has been in the Lemay family for more than 50 years. His wife, Patty, rebuilt it with her father when she was 13 years old.
Lemay said the choice of vehicle was intentional.
“Being a 1929 — the year the Ambassador Bridge opened —was the first year that they crossed the bridge,” Lemay said. “So, I thought it was only right that we turn around and bring it across the new Gordie Howe Bridge.”
The Gordie Howe International Bridge is the first new international crossing between the U.S. and Canada in decades — and by all accounts, it was worth the wait.