In this post bridges in Michigan will be examined. While the main focus is on the international border crossings, the chart below provides information on all the major waterway bridges in the state of Michigan. This is to give readers a comparison on the basic information so they can have a better understanding of size and location for the bridges examined later in the post.

The above graph shows that Detroit is the most commonly used port of the three international ports in Michigan. According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the number of vehicles that travel through Detroit to or from Canada is over double the amount that travels through Port Huron and four times higher than through Sault Ste. Marie.

The above chart shows the U.S. to Canada traffic flow for the four international crossings in Michigan during the year 2011. The Ambassador Bridge, which is privately owned, has the highest average traffic flow, and the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge has the lowest. The 2011 traffic flow for the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge is estimated to be about 5,255,000 less than the Ambassador Bridge. The Blue Water Bridge had the second highest traffic flow in 2011 of about 5.1 million vehicles.

Not only did the Ambassador Bridge have the highest amount of traffic, it also has the highest toll cost at $4.75 per passenger vehicle. The Grosse Ile Toll Bridge, which is one of two bridges that connects Grosse Ile-which is an island of about 10,400 residents-to mainland Trenton, has the a lowest toll rate at $2 per trip. Like the Ambassador Bridge the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge is privately owned.

Although the Mackinac Bridge is the longest Michigan bridge, as shown in previous charts, it has less traffic and lower tolls than the international Ambassador and Blue Water Bridges. The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, which also does not receive as much traffic as the Ambassador Bridge and the Blue Water Bridge, is the second longest waterway bridge in the state.