Skip to main content
Smart border crossings

Smart border crossings

MDOT is working to improve mobility at shared bidirectional international border crossings. These projects focus on the research and development of multimodal advanced automotive and smart mobility solutions, including safety and operational solutions for the movement of people and goods, and enhanced cross-border cooperation.

Aerial of Blue Water Bridge

Blue Water Bridge International Smart Freight Corridor Project

The Blue Water Bridge International Smart Freight Corridor Project will implement a proof of concept (POC) of a smart corridor for truck-borne goods movement at the Blue Water Bridge (BWB) in Port Huron, Michigan, and the Port Huron Port of Entry (POE). The main goal of the smart corridor is to apply data-centered technologies to enable the unimpeded flow of information among commercial carriers, shipping companies, vehicles, border agencies, and infrastructure operators.

The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) through a Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Program Grant.

Smart Freight Corridor fact sheet
Autonomous platoon on Blue Water Bridge with Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC).

International Crossing Deployment Plan

Advanced Automobile and Smart Mobility Safety and Operational International Border Crossing Project

MDOT and Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) continue to collaborate on improved mobility at the five shared bidirectional international border crossings between Michigan and Ontario, including the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge, BWB, Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, Ambassador Bridge, and the new Gordie Howe International Crossing.

The project vision is to define and implement an international crossing deployment plan that maximizes operations and increases safety while minimizing border wait times, processing complexity, cost and energy consumption.

International Crossing Deployment fact sheet
Bi-national autonomous drive with Continental and Magna cars.

Autonomous and Automated Border Crossing

In 2017, two automated driving vehicles traveled more than 300 miles, crossing the U.S.-Canada border, in partnership with Continental and Magna International Inc. The journey began in southeast Michigan and culminated at the Center for Automotive Research’s annual Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City. The vehicles traveled through Windsor and Sarnia, Ontario, before returning to Michigan, marking the first cross-border demonstration of its kind.

This event, supported by MDOT and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO), aims to test automated driving technology in various environments.

Autonomous platoon with the U.S. Army.

Autonomous Platoon with the U.S. Army

MDOT and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) demonstrated platooning technology by taking a four-vehicle convoy from Port Huron, Michigan, to Sarnia, Ontario, and back across the BWB. This international crossing was the Army's first use of this technology. The convoy includes two M915 "line haul" tractors with cargo containers, each equipped with TARDEC's Autonomous Mobility Appliqué System, which provides driver-warning features and semiautonomous operation using pre-programmed waypoints.

TARDEC previously tested these vehicles' communications capabilities with MDOT’s infrastructure on I-69 in June 2016.