Judge gives Ambassador bridge company 90 days to get agreement on security fence or remove

A judge in Detroit has given the Ambassador Bridge company 90 days in which to get governmental agreement to a controversial security fence or to pull it down. The company was sued over the fence by the City of Detroit whose lawyers said the fence was illegal and an encroachment on city land.

Opponents and critics said the company was "squatting" on city land in order to build a new unpermitted second bridge span, and it added to the company's image as rogue "cowboys."

The bridge company says the bridge was a necessary security perimeter to keep possible terrorists back from the existing span, and that the mayor at the time Dennis Archer gave his approval following the 9/11 2001 attacks. However the fence was never approved by the current city council and the present mayor is opposed to it.

The court case was a City move to "evict" the bridge company's fence from its land.

Judge Beverley Hayes Spiers of District Court ruled that without city permission the fence - on city ground - must be removed. But she said in acknowledgement of the Bridge company's argument, the fence does seem to have security importance.

She gave the company 90 days to consult with US homeland security and city council officials to reach an agreement on its future.

TOLLROADSnews 2009-10-06