detroit river international crossing

Enabling legislation for the proposed third Michigan-Ontario bridge known as the DRIC won't be voted on this year according to the Senate majority leader, (Repub) Mike Bishop. Republicans are wary of arrangements that could put the state of Michigan and its taxpayers on the hook for losses on the toll bridge in the future. Potential concessionaires have said the bridge is not financially viable with tolls alone, which means it will need subsidies.

There's a new traffic study on possible future traffic at the US-Canada Detroit River crossing that is far less optimistic than the study done for Michigan DOT by Wilbur Smith Associates (WSA). Conducted by British-based international consultants Halcrow the rival traffic study was commissioned by the Ambassador Bridge company.

The Detroit River International Crossing's (DRIC) enabling legislation has passed the state House of Representatives 56-51 Wednesday. That was a near partyline vote, almost all Democrats voting Yes and almost all Republicans No.

The state Senate now has to consider the bill. Republicans number 21 to Democrats 17 in the Senate, so the bill faces formidable odds, needing to hold Democrats as a bloc and peel off three GOPers. More likely that a simple Yes/No vote there will be a slew of amendments put forward.

Canada's federal transport minister John Baird visited Detroit Monday talking up the importance of building the new DRIC bridge downriver of the Ambassador as the date approaches for votes in the Michigan state legislature on enabling legislation.

With a legislative deadline looming May 1, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm announced a surprise Canadian promise of $550m in loans to help cover Michigan's costs since neither private investors nor the state can finance the new Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) toll bridge.

Rival press conferences were staged Friday in Detroit in efforts by the contestants to sway public opinion and mobilize political support for the two competing concepts for upgrading the leading US-Canada truck crossing - upgrading of the Ambassador Bridge or the construction of a new bridge about two miles (3km) downriver.

The protracted political war over US-Canada bridge crossings at the Detroit River is great fun to watch.  But it's probably only good for lawyers and reporters. If some kind of settlement were possible it would be of benefit to US-Canada trade, to taxpayers and investors, and to the people of Detroit and Windsor.

Michigan DOT has released traffic projections for the proposed new international bridge over the Detroit River, for which it recently issued a request for proposals of interest in a PPP. Major finding of the traffic study led by Wilbur Smith Associates is that the recent dramatic declines in traffic on the crossings justify a 2035 projection about ten percent lower than before.

Michigan DOT (MDOT) and the federal Transport Canada are requesting for expressions of interest  (RFEOI) in some kind of toll concession or partnership with the private sector in building a new toll bridge over the Detroit River a couple of miles downriver of the Ambassador Bridge.