The Ambassador Bridge is a pierced, international suspension bridge across the Detroit River that connects Detroit, Michigan, United States, with Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is the busiest international border crossing in North America in terms of trade volume, with more than 25% of all merchandise trade between the US and Canada passing through it. A 2004 Border Transportation Partnership study found that 150,000 jobs in the Detroit-Windsor region and US $ 13 billion in annual production depend on the Detroit-Windsor international border crossing.
 |
| Ambassador Bridge |
The bridge is one of the few private crossings in the United States and Canada; Until his death in July 2020, it was owned by billionaire Grosse PointeManuel Morun through the Detroit International Bridge Company in the US and the Canadian Transit Company in Canada. In 1979, when the previous owners listed it on the New York Stock Exchange and started trading the shares, Morun was able to buy the shares, eventually getting the bridge. The bridge carries 60 to 70 percent of the freight traffic in the region. Morun also owned Ammex Detroit Duty Free shops both on the bridge and in the tunnel.
 |
| Ambassador Bridge |
The Ambassador Bridge opened on November 15, 1929 at a total cost of $23.5 million. In April 1930, shortly after the opening of the bridge, an immigration inspector from Canada fell to his death. The bridge has been used by other suicide jumpers. After its discovery, high divers considered it a place for records; but after height and current measurements were taken into account, they were dissuaded and gave up the attempt.
 |
| Ambassador Bridge |
On November 14, 2000, the bridge's catwalk collapsed, leaving three men in the Detroit River and four workers dangling from their seat belts. Jamie Barker, one of the workers who fell into the water, died. Engineer George Snowden was punished by Ontario's professional engineers for his role in the collapse. On October 4, 2021, the Ambassador Bridge was partially closed due to a possible bomb threat. An investigation was launched immediately, led by Canadian and US authorities.
 |
| Ambassador Bridge |
The Ambassador Bridge is the busiest crossing on the Canada–US border. The four-lane bridge carries over 10,000 commercial vehicles on a typical weekday. The Gateway Project, a major US Plaza redevelopment completed in July 2009, provides direct access to Interstate 96 (I-96) and I-75 on the American side and Interstate 3 on the Canadian side. The Canadian end of the bridge connects to the busy streets of the city to the west of Windsor, resulting in congestion. This privately owned bridge accounts for about 25% of trade between Canada and the US.