Ambassador Bridge Offers Lower Toll Deals to Keep Truckers Amid Gordie Howe Delay

With the Gordie Howe International Bridge’s opening repeatedly postponed, the privately held Ambassador Bridge has stepped up efforts to keep cross-border freight on its span by offering lower-cost toll arrangements. Lak Shoan, policy director for the Ontario Trucking Association, said his group began hearing from a handful of members in the spring that the bridge’s owners were contacting companies directly, though no formal proposal was presented.

A deleted social-media post from UAW Local 212 chair JT Barrett urged drivers not to use the new bridge while they remain under a contract that reduces their toll bill by $240,000 each month, noting a flat $160,000 monthly rate versus previous per-crossing costs exceeding $400,000. The Ambassador Bridge’s website now advertises an “A-Pass” subscription with fixed monthly rates for carriers making over 150 crossings. Stellantis, whose FCA Transport drivers are covered by the contract, declined to confirm the arrangement but said the new bridge will enhance logistics. Industry observers, including Shoan, view the competition as a chance for lower tolls amid economic uncertainty.