Advertisement

Detroit-Windsor Tunnel to reopen for vaccinated U.S. travellers

The Windsor-Detroit Tunnel is shown in a file photo. (Dale Molnar/CBC - image credit)
The Windsor-Detroit Tunnel is shown in a file photo. (Dale Molnar/CBC - image credit)

For the first time since March of last year, American tourists will be allowed to enter Canada starting Aug. 9.

The City of Windsor said in a media release on Wednesday that the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel will open to fully vaccinated U.S. citizens and permanent residents that day.

Tolls on the Canadian side will also see an increase on that day, bringing the cost of driving to the U.S. more in line with the toll to enter Canada.

Effective Aug. 9, the Windsor-to-Detroit rate will be $6.50 or $5 US for a passenger vehicle. Previously, the rate was $4.75.

"This is the first rate increase we've had in six years," Windsor-Detroit Borderlink Limited CEO Carolyn Brown said in a media release. "During that time, we've spent $20 million in upgrades to the tunnel."

The Canadian side will resume collecting cash after a pandemic hiatus, but only until the end of the year. The U.S. side is remaining cashless.

The tunnel, which opened in 1930, is jointly owned by the cities of Detroit and Windsor.

The Canada-U.S. land border has been closed since March 2020 except for trade and essential travel.

The federal government announced earlier this month that as of Aug. 9., U.S. citizens and permanent residents will be able to enter Canada for non-essential purposes if they're fully vaccinated.

It's not clear when the U.S. government will allow Canadians to cross the land border for non-essential reasons.

It recently extended the border shutdown until at least Aug. 21.