Significant Delays for Commercial Traffic at Blue Water Bridge

News Summary

As of October 2, 2025, the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, Michigan, is experiencing substantial delays for commercial traffic due to a Canadian Customs system outage. Reported wait times for trucks and commercial vehicles have reached over two hours. The outage was confirmed by the Canadian Border Services Agency and has affected multiple border crossings. While the system was repaired, lingering issues continue to cause delays. Officials from the Michigan Department of Transportation are working to manage the backlog and advise motorists to expect further delays.

Port Huron, Michigan – Commercial traffic to Canada through the Blue Water Bridge is experiencing significant delays due to a Canadian Customs system outage as of October 2, 2025. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) reported that this outage has severely impacted commercial processing at the Blue Water Bridge port of entry, creating long wait times for trucks and other commercial vehicles.

As of 2 PM on Thursday, traffic entering Canada was reported to be backed up for between 90 to 120 minutes for westbound traffic and over two hours for eastbound traffic. By 7 PM, wait times had escalated to exceed two hours for commercial vehicles attempting to cross. Traffic backups were significant, leading to miles of standstill on roads approaching the bridge.

The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) confirmed the outage at approximately 11:30 AM, detailing that it impacted multiple border crossings due to issues stemming from routine maintenance on a primary inspection kiosk system conducted earlier that Sunday morning. Although the system was repaired by 1:49 PM, lingering effects from the outage continued to cause delays in commercial processing. In contrast to commercial traffic, passenger vehicles experienced no wait times by Thursday night.

During the outage, officials from MDOT have been collaborating closely with IT partners to resolve the issues and restore normal operations as swiftly as possible. According to reports, staff members were present at the border to process incoming traffic and shipments while working diligently to manage the growing backlog.

As a point of comparison, on the Ambassador Bridge, which connects Michigan with Windsor, Ontario, wait times for commercial vehicles were around two hours, while passenger vehicles faced a wait of approximately 30 minutes. However, the situation remained most pronounced at the Blue Water Bridge, which spans the St. Clair River and links Port Huron, Michigan, to Point Edward, Ontario.

Despite the system being back online, the delays have largely persisted as officials work to clear the traffic backlog. Transportation officials have advised to expect further delays as the effects of the system outage continue to ripple through the processing queue at the border.

The impact of these delays on local businesses and the transportation industry remains to be determined. With cross-border commerce relying heavily on efficient processing, stakeholders are keenly aware of the urgency to remedy these ongoing delays amidst the heavy traffic.

This situation continues to develop, and MDOT will provide updates as conditions change throughout the day. Motorists planning to use the Blue Water Bridge in the immediate future are urged to prepare for delays and to consider alternative routes if possible.

Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic

• Click On Detroit: System Outage Causing Major Traffic Delays
• Wikipedia: Blue Water Bridge
• WXYZ: Massive Delays at Blue Water Bridge
• Google Search: Blue Water Bridge
• CBS News: Canada Border Services System Outage
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Canada
• Detroit News: System Outage Snarls Commercial Traffic
• Google News: Canadian Customs Outage