Building the Bridge was a joint effort between the United States and Canada. In the U.S., Federal funds were made available because the bridge was connected to the federal freeway system. Ninety percent of the bridge’s cost to the U.S. was paid for by the federal government. The International Bridge Authority used bonding to finance the remaining ten percent. The bridge opened to traffic October 31, 1962. The “Twin Soos” – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario (population 85,000) and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, (population 16,000) – have benefited immensely from the bridge. As a transportation link to the steel, paper and forest industries, to the tourism businesses, and to the general public, the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge has proved to be one of the most significant bridges in North America.
Source : Michigan Historical Calendar, courtesy of the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University.