Gordie Howe International Bridge Opens to Pedestrians and Cyclists
New 1.5-mile multi-use path offers first free border crossing for non-motorized travelers between Detroit and Windsor
By: Ebenezer Adu-Gyamfi / Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada | August 5, 2026
DETROIT / WINDSOR — The Gordie Howe International Bridge officially opened its multi-use path to pedestrians and cyclists on Wednesday, Aug. 5, creating the first legal walking and biking crossing of the Detroit River in more than 25 years.
The opening comes just over a week after the six-lane bridge opened to vehicle traffic on July 27. The Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority said the 1.5-mile path is just under 12 feet wide and accommodates pedestrians and cyclists together. It is toll-free and separate from vehicle lanes.
How to Use the Path
The path runs from entrance to exit in about 1.8 miles. Officials estimate a one-way crossing takes about 20 minutes by bike and about 45 minutes on foot, not including border processing time. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from April 1 through Oct. 31, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Nov. 1 through March 31. Last entry is one hour before closing.
What you need: A valid passport or passport card is required to exit on either side, even if you don’t plan to cross the entire bridge. You do not need a passport to get onto the bridge path itself. What’s allowed: Walking, jogging, running, bicycles, cargo bikes, trikes, and wheelchairs. Cyclists must keep speed at or below 12 mph and pedestrians have the right-of-way.
What’s allowed: Walking, jogging, running, bicycles, cargo bikes, trikes, and wheelchairs. Cyclists must keep speed at or below 12 mph and pedestrians have the right-of-way.
What’s not allowed yet: E-bikes are prohibited during the first few weeks. Skateboards and electric scooters are also not permitted. There is no onsite parking at either port of entry. Because demand is expected to be high, the Bridge Authority will limit the number of people on the path at one time during the initial days
Connecting Two Trail Systems
The path links directly to the Trans Canada Trail in Windsor and to the Iron Belle Trail and Great Lakes Way on the Michigan side. It’s the first non-special-event pedestrian crossing of the Detroit River since the Ambassador Bridge sidewalk closed in 2001.
Local leaders say the free crossing is about more than commuting.
“I think with that free access… that’s really going to be about people-to-people, you know, people walking over the bridge,” said Detroit Regional Chamber CEO Sandy Baruah. “Think about a day where you start in downtown Detroit, walk down the riverfront… go up the bridge, across the bridge into Windsor, grab dinner at a great Italian restaurant, or vice versa”.
About the Bridge
Named for Canadian hockey icon “Mr. Hockey” Gordie Howe, the $6.4 billion bridge spans 1.5 miles and rises 151 feet above the Detroit River. Canada paid to build it.Vehicle tolls are $8 CAD for passenger vehicles and $12 CAD for trucks. The bridge is open 24/7 for cars and trucks and is Canada’s largest and most technologically advanced land border crossing.
After decades of planning and pandemic delays that began in 2018, the bridge gives the Detroit-Windsor corridor a second major truck route and now a dedicated way for people to cross on foot or bike.
