Ambassador Bridge reopens for U.S. bound traffic after Canadian trucker protest blocks traffic
Canadian trucker protests shutdown Ambassador bridge traffic
International trade over the Ambassador Bridge ground to a halt Monday night when a demonstration by Canadian truckers against vaccine rules and COVID-19 restrictions spilled from Windsor onto major highways leading to and away from the bridge.
(FOX 2) - The Ambassador Bridge has reopened following an hours-long shutdown due to a protest among Canadian truckers upset with COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine rules in the country.
The Windsor Police said early Tuesday morning that U.S. bound traffic was open on the bridge and could be accessed from the Wyandotte Street west entrance.
Border wait times listed on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website also reported there were no delays restricting travel across the bridge.
Authorities in Michigan and Ontario had both begun diverting traffic to the Detroit-Windsor tunnel Monday night and the Blue Water Bridge to avoid the gridlock. The traffic jam is linked to a demonstration by the Canadian Freedom Convoy, a collection of truckers from Ottawa that were protesting Canada's vaccine mandate.
The Prime Minister accused the demonstrators of trying to "blockade our economy" and "our democracy."
Some of the drivers caught in the traffic were sympathetic to the cause. One driver asked why truckers should need to abide by Covid restrictions if they have been "going for two years without spreading it?"
Others were more upset.
Truckers head to Port Huron as Canada's Freedom Convoy clogs Ambassador Bridge
Traffic from Canada into the United States is flowing at a trickle across the Ambassador Bridge but truck drivers on the U.S. side are heading north to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron to continue on their routes as the Canadian Freedom Convoy has brought traffic to a standstill.
"Okay, you are doing protests. Do it. But don't block other people. Other people do protests on the sidewalk, not blocking traffic," said one driver.
MORE: Ambassador Bridge gridlock linked to Canadian truckers protest
The weeks-long protest had made news in Canada before spilling into the U.S. Monday when one of the busiest border crossings in the world became affected. It's also a major route for commercial trucks.
