Windsor-Detroit Tunnel preparing for traffic dip when Gordie Howe bridge opens

Windsor-Detroit Tunnel in Windsor, Ont., on Monday, June 1, 2026. (Travis Fortnum/CTV News Windsor)

As summer travel season gets underway, traffic at the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel is showing signs of stability after a year marked by trade tensions and reduced cross-border travel.

But tunnel officials say a much bigger change could be on the horizon.

The Windsor-Detroit Tunnel recorded more than 1.24 million vehicle crossings through the first four months of 2026, according to data from the Bridge and Tunnel Operators Association.

That’s up about 2.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Tunnel CEO Tal Czudner said traffic has improved from where it stood in 2025, when concerns about tariffs and Canada-U.S. relations prompted some Canadians to avoid travelling south of the border.

“Last year, 2025, we were down around 5 per cent. This year we’re only down around 1 per cent,” Czudner told CTV News.

“We’re actually very close to our previous traffic.”

Still, he said some travellers continue to stay closer to home.

“The elbows up campaign is still very relevant,” said Czudner.

While passenger traffic has shown signs of recovery, tunnel officials are already looking ahead to the eventual opening of the Gordie Howe International Bridge.

The new crossing, which will connect Windsor and Detroit west of the city core, is expected to significantly alter traffic patterns throughout the region. When it opens, motorists will have three options for crossing the border between Windsor and Detroit: the tunnel, the Ambassador Bridge and the Gordie Howe bridge.

Czudner expects the tunnel will feel the impact immediately.

“We think the first month it opens up, we’ll see a 7 per cent dip in passenger vehicle traffic,” he said.

“The following month a 5 per cent dip. Ater that it really remains to be seen.”

Despite that projection, Czudner remains confident many drivers will continue using the tunnel because of its direct connection to downtown Detroit.

“We have a lot of loyal users,” he said, pointing to healthcare workers, engineers and sports fans who regularly travel between the two cities.

The opening date for the Gordie Howe International Bridge remains unclear.

The project was previously expected to open in the spring of 2026, but no official opening date has been announced.

CTV News reached out a spokesperson for the new bridge but did not hear back by deadline.

Whenever it does open, Czudner said the tunnel will be watching closely to see how drivers respond to the region’s newest border crossing.