DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Gordie Howe International Bridge is open to traffic, marking a historic milestone for the Detroit-Windsor corridor — though the first night brought a minor hiccup for drivers crossing back into the United States.
Watch Megan Lee's video report below:
Dozens of cars were backed up at the U.S. entrance Monday night after a border police officer told us off camera that officers had gone home for the evening, forcing some lanes to close.
John Baker, a Southwest Detroit resident who witnessed the backup, said the situation was understandable.
"They're working on their kinks it seems like," Baker said.
Anthony Olson, who had taken the Ambassador Bridge into Canada, decided to use the new bridge on his return trip to the U.S.
"Anytime you open something this big, there's going to be glitches that you gotta figure out. Things you didn't account for," Olson said.
Olson said the crossing itself went smoothly until the lane closures created a bottleneck.
"Traffic on the bridge was fine and then we expected a little bit of traffic because everyone is getting out of work, but then they shut down all the gates and now everyone is trying to file into one. So it's a little bit of a mess, but I'm sure they will figure it out," Olson said.
Related video: Drivers arriving in Canada talk about Gordie Howe International Bridge
Earlier in the day, others had a much smoother experience. Bill Grabowski, who is from Northville, said he was among the first to cross.
"They said I was the first American, U.S. citizen to cross the Gordie Howe Bridge at 10:28 this morning," Grabowski said.
Grabowski crossed with both the American and Canadian flags flying from his truck and described the moment as deeply emotional.
"It was unbelievable. It was just an immense sigh of relief that it's finally open," Grabowski said.
He felt thankful as he crossed over the new bridge.
"I had a deep sense of gratitude for all of the people that worked hard on it," Grabowski said. "Thank God we got it done and now we're able to use, and lets just be close neighbors with Canada."
Grabowski and his family have a cottage in Leamington, Ontario, and have been driving back and forth for over two decades. He said the new bridge will make a noticeable difference in their travel time.
"Well for us, because we had to cross the Ambassador Bridge generally, there's 11 stop lights, I think, and very congested truck traffic. So the new bridge is probably going to shave seven or eight minutes off of our drive," Grabowski said.
Related video: SW Detroit residents hope bridge opening will bring relief from truck traffic
He is already planning a trip this weekend and said the bridge represents something bigger than convenience.
"Ten years from now, we will look back and we will forget all the negative parts of this. We will just remember that we are strong neighbors," Grabowski said.
The bridge's lighting program reflects that sentiment. According to the bridge, the lighting is unified and represents a strong partnership between both countries.
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