Canada

Canadian truckers shut down busiest border crossing in North America, back up Detroit roads

One business leader said the delays could lead to supply chain problems

By Emma Colton Fox News
Published | Updated

The busiest border crossing in North America was shut down as the Canadian truckers protesting their country's vaccine mandates made it to the Detroit-Windsor border, causing traffic on the highway to Detroit. 

"It doesn’t make sense as they shouldn’t be blocking the borders or the roads," Canadian truck driver Nav Aulch told Click on Detroit. 

Traffic began building on I-75 and the Ambassador Bridge around 3 p.m. Monday. Detroit officials said the Ambassador Bridge was closed at about 8 p.m., leaving thousands of truckers left stranded on Detroit roads, according to Fox 2 Detroit.

Transport trucks pass under a "Bridge To USA" at the entrance to the Ambassador Bridge, US-Canada border crossing in Windsor, Ontario. (iStock)

The Ambassador Bridge links Detroit, Michigan, with Windsor, Ontario, Canada.  It is one of the busiest international trade routes in North America. (iStock)

"Can’t get upset," one of the truckers told Click on Detroit. "I’m not the only guy stuck out here. Fortunately, I do have a sleeper cabin. I feel bad for those drivers that don’t have that option."

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Officials are directing the travelers to use the Windsor-Detroit Tunnel or the Port Huron Blue Water Bridge instead of the Ambassador Bridge. 

Business leaders also sounded off that closing the busiest international border crossing in the U.S. will create supply chain issues. 

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"Any delay or disruption in the supply chain creates problems, not just for agriculture but the state economy," Chuck Lippstreu, president of the Michigan Agri-Business Association, told The Detroit News. 

U.S. bound traffic on the bridge was reopened Tuesday morning, according to the Windsor Police Department. 

People gather in protest against COVID-19 mandates and in support of a protest against COVID-19 restrictions taking place in Ottawa, in Edmonton, Alberta, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022.  (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)

A protester in support of masks and vaccines makes their way through a demonstration in support of a trucker convoy in Ottawa protesting COVID-19 restrictions, at Queen's Park in Toronto, Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022.  (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Protesters walk with bags past trucks parked on downtown streets on Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Ottawa, Ontario. Thousands of protesters railing against vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions descended on the capital, deliberately blocking traffic around Parliament Hill.  (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press)

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The Freedom Convoy of truckers left Vancouver for Ottawa on Jan. 23 to protest the federal government’s vaccine mandates for cross-border truckers and is calling for an end to coronavirus restrictions. The convoy reached Ottawa last weekend, and protests have since spread to other areas of Canada. 

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