While the Gordie Howe International Bridge is set to open to commercial and passenger vehicles July 27, pedestrians and cyclists are going to have to wait a little while longer to cross.

The Windsor Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) announced Thursday that walkers and bike riders will be allowed to go over the Detroit River on the span starting Aug. 5.

The one lane path will accommodate two-way pedestrian traffic.

According to the WDBA’s website the multi-use path remains toll-free.

For cycling advocate Tom Omstead and his wife Sue from Share the Road- Essex County, the bike access the bridge provides is a game-changer for the area.

“This is the most significant cycling tourism asset in Canada,” Tom told CBC News. “The potential is huge and there’s a great population across the border.”

Some cyclists might see the bridge itself as a singular attraction. But, Sue added that their organization is focused on ensuring that cycling visitors get the best possible experience possible in Canada.

“There’s other types of tourists who may decide that they want to do a multi day bike experience, and we want to make sure that they know there are safe and comfortable routes for them to use,” she said.

The path is 2.5 kilometres long and 3.6 metres wide and connects into existing local trail networks on either side of the border.

Similarly, the director of the area’s BIA says bicycles being able to travel across the bridge will positively impact his community.

“For the first time in about 90 years we will have a toll-free bridge open to pedestrians and cyclists, and the first port of call will be Sandwich Town,” said Sandwich Town BIA director Stephen Hargreaves.

“We are the gateway to Canada, and we don’t take that responsibility lightly … We are welcoming people who are maybe entering the country for the first time.”

WATCH | What we know and don’t know about the deal to open the Gordie Howe bridge:

What we know — and don’t know — about the deal to open the Gordie Howe bridge

The Canadian government announced on Friday evening that the Gordie Howe International Bridge will open on July 27th — with the support of the U.S. government. But questions remain about the agreement to finally open the bridge, and Conservative MPs are looking for answers. CBC Windsor’s Emma Loop reports.

What about e-bikes?

Earlier this year a Windsor bylaw, which prohibits the use of “power assisted bikes” on paved pathways, brought into question the the ability for visitors who use these bikes to get across the bridge.

The Omsteads were part of the voices calling for change.

By June council updated the bylaw, allowing pedal-assisted e-bikes on certain pathways in parks.

“The bridge has got a grade to it and an elevation gain, so you can expect that we’re going to see a lot of people on e-bikes just because of the steepness of the grade,” Tom said. “We just want to make sure that when they got here they were welcome too.”

Asked Wednesday if the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority could clarify whether e-bikes would be permitted on the bridge, a spokesperson said “stay tuned.”

“More information on the multi-use path will be made available on our website and across our social media channels as we get closer to opening,” Kathryn Segal said.