The Ambassador Bridge in Detroit was closed for the first time in decades after Canadian protesters blocked access to one of the busiest international bridge crossings in North America.
The bridge from Detroit, Michigan, to Canada was closed on Monday evening amid continuing protests over COVID-19 vaccine mandates. The Michigan Department of Transportation advised motorists to use tunnels as alternate routes, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The so-called Freedom Convoy was started by truckers upset over Canada’s new COVID-19 mandate requiring drivers entering the country to be fully vaccinated or potentially face testing and quarantine. Others have since joined the movement and it has spread into the U.S., blocking the Ambassador Bridge, CNN reported.
The bridge closure has increased traffic time and spilled onto Interstate 75 in Detroit. Truck divers needing to cross the border were redirected to the Port Huron Blue Water Bridge, WJBK-TV reported.
Gregg Ward, president of Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry, told the Detroit Free Press that the last time the bridge was fully shut down for a demonstration was in 1990 for the independent truckers protest.
Truckers use the bridge to transport goods between the two nations, and while people depend on getting their deliveries on time, it’s unclear how the shutdown will delay the process. According to The Guardian, at least 8,000 trucks cross the bridge every day.
Ward told the Detroit Free Press that truckers using the alternative route to Port Huron increases driving time, which raises concerns about how many hours the drivers will be working. He said he knew there was an expected slowdown of traffic but “I would bet most people didn’t think there would be a complete closure.”
Update 2/8/22, 11:33 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Jason Franson /The Canadian Press/AP Photo
