Whether visiting a favorite mall, with the family, or for sightseeing, foreign travelers vaccinated at the border with Canada on both sides will once again be able to travel using the Detroit-Windsor tunnel starting Monday.
The tunnel reopens at midnight after being closed to the general public on March 21, 2020, just after the onset of the pandemic, and for the first time since, vaccinated Canadians will be able to cross the U.S. border for non-essential purposes. The reopening includes land borders with Canada and Mexico, and means Michigan’s border with Canada is open to those coming to the United States by land or ferry for non-essential travel.
Travelers crossing the US borders with Canada and Mexico will be required to provide proof of vaccination upon request from customs and border protection officials. By January, foreign nationals traveling across the land border to the United States, both essential and non-essential, will need to be fully immunized.
The Canadian border opened to non-essential travel in August as long-term entry requirements were met.
“It will be great to see our customers again, and we thank you for the patience we have shown as we continue to navigate this global pandemic together,” said Neal Belitsky, President of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. “We are pleased to announce that we will reopen border travel to the United States through the tunnel to non-essential vaccinated travelers, and we will work with our partners in the United States and Canadian governments to ensure a safe return to service.”
The tunnel toll on the Detroit side will remain cashless while toll workers on the Canadian side of the border will accept cash until the end of the year. Cash will then no longer be accepted as a method of payment.
Few are those who expect a flood of tourists immediately. Those entering Canada, including Canadians returning from the briefest of visits to the U.S. side, must show a negative molecular test result for the coronavirus within 72 hours of arrival. Lawmakers, businesses and residents say the costly requirement, some tests are $ 200, will deter day trippers, shoppers and families their savings crave.
On Monday, Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens and U.S. Representative Brian Higgins, D-New York, will hold a virtual press conference on Monday to highlight COVID-19 testing requirements to return through the land border crossing.
Mandatory PCR tests to return to Canada after a visit to the United States are at issue.
“Our government must find a way to find symmetry and harmony with the United States so that the rules are the same,” Dilkens said in an Oct. 28 radio interview. “If they don’t (end of PCR test), then reopening the border won’t be reopening the border for most people.”
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The Transit Windsor tunnel bus service is currently suspended. Monday will mark the first time in 19 months that fully vaccinated Canadians will be allowed to cross the land border into the United States on non-essential trips such as tourism or family visits.
Border health examinations may be required by the federal government as well as by Canadian government guidelines. Travelers are encouraged to consult the United States Department of Homeland Security website and Canada Public health agency for more information.
Before the pandemic, the tunnel served 12,000 daily customers and 4 million per year. The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel is operated by Detroit-based American Roads under a lease with the city of Detroit that began in 1998 and runs until 2040.
Travelers can get real-time updates and traffic information online at www.dwtunnel.com, on Twitter @DetWinTunnel.
John Roach, spokesman for Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, said Sunday: “The reopening of the Detroit-Windsor tunnel is another sign that our economies are returning to normal and offers workers and travelers another option to cross our international border with Canada. continue to do everything in their power to operate safely in the COVID environment. “
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