BC Business
Detroit-Windsor bridge | BCBusinessTen years after it was first announced, plans for a new bridge connecting Detroit and Windsor, Ont. will move forward.
A new U.S.-Canadian crossing first announced in 2002 is expected to help congestion and boost jobs in the southern Ontario city. After a decade of languishing, plans are finally moving forward on a new bridge connecting downtown Detroit and Windsor, Ont. Prime Minister Stephen Harper confirmed this week that Michigan and Canada had come to an agreement on the crossing, which is expected to cost around $1 billion.
After a decade of languishing, plans are finally moving forward on a new bridge connecting downtown Detroit and Windsor, Ont. Prime Minister Stephen Harper confirmed this week that Michigan and Canada had come to an agreement on the crossing, which is expected to cost around $1 billion. Jean Chrétian first announced plans for the bridge and a corresponding $300 million in funding in 2002, but the project never got off the ground. But with around $500 million in trade passing through the current crossing on a daily basis, a new crossing is necessary to relieve congestion and traffic flow. Canadian officials expect to make up the $550 million they’ve fronted from the projects in tolls over the life of the bridge. The money is a well-spent investment if the crossing further facilitates trade between Canada and its neighbour south of the border. The announcement is welcome in Windsor, which has an unemployment rate of 9.9 per cent. The new bridge means new jobs and new investments that could revitalize the region.