NITC

2013-04-12: The US Department of State announced today that it has issued the US Presidential Permit that represents the last federal authorization needed for the proposed New International Trade Crossing (NITC) toll bridge that the Canadian Government plans to have built 1.8 miles downriver of the Ambassador Bridge.

2013-04-09: A state representative for Detroit and mayoral candidate Fred Durhal (Dem) is seeking a court ruling to void Michigan Governor Rick Synder's agreement allowing the Canadian Government to build a new toll bridge over the Detroit River, downstream of the Ambassador bridge.  In a statement Rep Durhal says his lawsuit seeks to establish the legislature's role in authorizing the project and any agreement with the Canadians.

Supporters of a new Canadian sponsored bridge downriver of the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor won a big political  victory in voting in Michigan Tuesday. The new bridge got 2.63m votes to 1.78m or 60% to 40% in so called Proposal 6.

A Yes vote for Michigan's Proposal 6 is a no-brainer. Sloppy and malicious local reporting and demagoguery out of the Governor's office and a local Canadian consul has portrayed Proposal 6 as barring any new international bridge or tunnel to protect a supposed "monopoly" at the Ambassador Bridge.

TOLLROADSnews has had an extended back & forth with proponents of the new Detroit-Windsor bridge championed by state governor Rick Snyder and the Canadian Government, and opposed by the Michigan legislature, the Ambassador Bridge company and a group it supports called The People Should Decide.

2012-07-11: The People Should Decide, a group supported by the Ambassador Bridge company this week submitted 609,220 signatures to put on the ballot November 6 a new clause in the Michigan constitution requiring a popular vote before the state can support any new international crossing. The bridge company has been battling plans which would have a new multi-billion dollar government owned toll bridge built 1.8 miles downriver.

2012-06-27: The bizarre and endless saga of a new Detroit Windsor toll bridge has taken another weird twist.

2012-06-21: Opponents of the new Detroit River bridge (NITC or DRIC) that was the subject of an agreement between the government of Canada and the Governor of Michigan June 15 say they now have passed the minimum number of signatures to put the new bridge issue on the ballot in November. The popular vote is on.

2012-06-15: The New International Trade Crossing (NITC) bridge Detroit-Windsor will be underwritten by the national government of Canada. Prospective toll revenues being insufficient to attract private investment, investors will be sought to design, build, finance and operate the NITC bridge under a 40 to 50 year contract with annual 'availability payments'  rather than toll revenues.

2012-06-15: The Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper is in Windsor today for the formal announcement of an agreement with Michigan Governor Rick Snyder to advance a new toll bridge downriver of the Ambassador Bridge. Governor Snyder faces opposition to having Michigan taxpayers underwrite any of the costs of the new bridge which will compete for limited traffic with the Blue Water Bridge, the Detroit Windsor Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge span.