SAULT STE. MARIE, MI -- A toll increase announced last month for the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge is set to go into effect next week. Starting on Oct. 1, the fare for passenger vehicles using U.S. currency will increase from $4 to $4.10, while the fare for commercial vehicles will increase by 25 cents per axle.
For those using Canadian currency, the rates will increase by 10 cents and 25 cents respectively after a 10-cent currency equity adjustment is applied. The base fares are set in U.S. dollars and Canadian fares are adjusted every six months according to the average six-month exchange rate.
The fare increase was approved by the Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Authority (SSMBA) in August as part of efforts to address the long term plans for the bridge authority.
“This toll increase will not fully address the projected long term capital deficit,”said International Bridge Administration (IBA) Bridge Manager Peter Petainen in August. “But the increase is a measured approach toward building the reserve fund necessary to pay for planned capital improvement projects in the next 10 years.”
As part of the plan, the SSMBA also approved semiannual toll increases, averaging 4.7 percent per year for commercial vehicles and 2.9 percent per year for passenger vehicles, over the next decade. The authority may also use discretion to suspend or delay proposed rate increases.