New Year means new toll system at international bridge

Frequent users of the bridge between Ontario and Michigan are being reminded of a change coming New Year's Day.

The International Bridge that connects the two Saults, as well as the Blue Water Bridge connecting Port Huron, Mich., and Point Edward, Ont., have modernized their toll systems.

Previous card-based commuter discount systems at the Blue Water Bridge have been phased out and replaced by new radio-frequency tags.

And now the International Bridge will cease accepting the current Prox commuter cards after Dec. 31, the operators said in a news release.

They say the benefits of the new tolling system for both bridges include technological upgrades, interoperability between crossings, and improved customer service. 

You can find more in the following news release from the Michigan Department of Transportation:

As a new year approaches, it's time to turn the page on 2023. For frequent travelers at two Michigan-Ontario crossings, it also will be time to switch to a new toll system.

Over the past year, the International Bridge (connecting Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., with Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) and the Blue Water Bridge (connecting Port Huron, Mich., to Point Edward, Ont.) have modernized and synchronized their toll systems.

Previous card-based commuter discount systems at the U.S. and Canadian sides of the Blue Water Bridge (BWB) have been phased out and replaced by new radio-frequency ID (RFID) tags. The tag system at the International Bridge is up and running, and that crossing will cease accepting the previous Prox commuter cards after Dec. 31.

"Time is running out on the old system," International Bridge Administration (IBA) chief financial officer Emily Jacques said. "Frequent customers need to remember the deadline for card expiration is Dec. 31. We encourage them to take advantage of our commuter discount program with the convenient new RFID tag system."

The award-winning toll project is the first U.S.-Canada toll collection system involving three independent international bridge operators with different ownership structures.

The bi-national partnership connected all the agencies under one contract. It enables technical interoperability across border with customers able to attach multiple accounts in different currencies to a single bi-national sticker tag for ease of travel.

Customers can purchase one tag from one bridge operator and then set up accounts with the other two bridge operators. The customer then links their single tag with the partner agencies, all through a seamless customer interface.

At the BWB, the Federal Bridge Corp. Ltd. (FBCL) ConneXion pre-paid toll program enables swift, automated toll payments across all lanes on the Canadian side. Users can also sync their ConneXion tags with Michigan's Edge Pass account system for additional benefits. Commuters only need one tag to register and use with both ConneXion and Edge accounts.

Step-by-step instructions for installing and using the tags are online at each crossing’s website:

• Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge: saultbridge.com
• BWB Michigan side (MDOT): BlueWaterBridge.us
• BWB Canadian side (FBCL): federalbridge.ca/connexion/

Website and account access is now standardized for all three bridge agencies for improved customer experience. New web portals allow customers to manage their accounts, review transactions, make one-time payments or set up automatic payments, request new or replacement tags, cancel tags, generate statements, and more. The system is scalable to potentially add other similar toll entities in the future.

Customer support is available from all three bridges via e-mail.

• Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge: accounts@saultbridge.com
• BWB Michigan side (MDOT): MDOT-BWB-CustomerCare@Michigan.gov
• BWB Canadian side (FBCL): connexion@federalbridge.ca

Mobile phone apps for managing toll accounts are available for Apple and Android devices. Mobile payment options, along with new credit payment options, are available at select locations.

The new toll systems went online in fall 2022.