BY JOSH DAVISNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG — Automobile traffic on the Ogdensburg International Bridge is showing signs of increasing, Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority leaders say that overall traffic has fallen to roughly two-thirds of pre-pandemic usage. 

At the May meeting of the OBPA, Executive Director Anthony Adamczyk noted that April 2026 saw an approximately 14% increase over the same month the prior year, which he added “is exciting to see.”

Adamczyk noted that while automobile crossings increased in April, commercial truck traffic decreased by roughly 12%.

“We really think that reflects the current U.S.- Canada business climate,” Adamczyk said, but added that current maintenance work on the bridge, which has reduced traffic to one lane, could also have an impact on crossings, particularly amongst oversized loads. 

The Executive Director noted that overall traffic compared to 2019 has decreased roughly 34%.

Adamczyk reported that in the first quarter of 2026, the OBPA lost roughly $230,000 in revenue from decreased bridge crossings. 

Adamczyk said  that it is “nice to see the auto traffic starting to increase,” but noted “it’s certainly not where we want to be or need to be.”

“Let’s hope we don’t repeat that same number for the next two quarters,” OBPA Board Chairman Sam Burns said. “It may be a little bit better than last year, but still not a good number,” he continued. 

Burns asked how the OBPA could strive to welcome Canadian travelers to help increase bridge traffic. 

“See what we can do with inviting our Northern neighbors,” help them “know that we appreciate it when they come across,” Burns said.

Burns remarked that the Authority should take steps to increase traffic in either a Northerly or Southerly direction. 

Burns noted that traffic consisting of Canadian travelers flying south from Ogdensburg Airport “will certainly decrease. Hopefully not too much, but we need to do whatever we can to utilize our bridge more than what it has been the last year.”

Burns also remarked on the relatively low exchange rate of the Canadian Dollar, which has fluctuated in value between $0.72 and $0.77 for the majority of the past year. “There’s nothing we can do about that,” Burns said.

Board members noted that despite the exchange rate, raising tolls on Canadian traffic could prove a counterintuitive measure. 

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