SAULT STE. MARIE, MICHIGAN, September 23 2019 – Issued by the Michigan Department of Transportation.
International Bridge commercial customers paying Canadian currency will see toll rates change next week due to the current value of the Canadian dollar. The commercial vehicle tolls paid in Canadian dollars will increase from the current $6.60 per axle to $6.65. Canadian currency auto and commuter discount rates remain unchanged.
Commercial rates in U.S. dollars remain unchanged at $5 per axle.
These changes, effective Tuesday, October 1, are a result of the mandated exchange review conducted by bridge officials twice each year. Commercial traffic makes up about 7 percent of the annual crossings and 36 percent of bridge revenue; commuter and auto combine for about 93 percent of the yearly crossings.
The operation and maintenance of the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge is totally self-funded, primarily through bridge tolls. It is not subsidized by any state, provincial or federal government entity. Bridge operations have a substantial economic impact on the surrounding communities.
“Maintenance and operations for our 57-year-old bridge is our top priority. Approximately $6.2 million of toll revenue is dedicated to that purpose and ensures the bridge is open to the public 365 days a year,” said Peter Petäinen, general manager of the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge Administration. “We connect and support the economies on both sides of the border, and bridge revenue annually goes back into the local economies, split equally between both Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.”
The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge Administration reviews and adjusts the rates each April and October.
For more information, visit the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge Administration website at www.saultbridge.com or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/saultbridge.