Agreement for the Construction of the New Detroit River International Crossing

Posted on January 2, 2013 By Flowers Canada Posted In Articles

On June 15, 2012 the conclusion of an agreement between Canada and the State of Michigan will lead toward building a new publicly owned bridge crossing between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan.

The conclusion of an agreement between Canada and the State of Michigan will lead toward building a new publicly owned bridge crossing between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan. The agreement establishes the framework for each party’s roles and responsibilities for the construction, financing, operation and maintenance of the new international crossing. 

The new Detroit River International Crossing will facilitate the movement of people and goods between Canada and the U.S. by ensuring that there is sufficient border crossing capacity to handle projected growth in cross border trade and traffic in the Windsor-Detroit trade corridor.  It will also provide a much-needed crossing alternative at the busiest Canada-U.S. commercial border crossing.

The project includes the bridge, Canadian and U.S. inspection plazas, and an interchange with Interstate-75 with construction expected to take four to five years.  The project will be funded by the Government of Canada, with the U.S. plaza being the responsibility of the U.S. government.  The private sector is also expected to contribute to the project through a public-private partnership.  Ontario and Canada are jointly funding the Windsor Essex Parkway, which will connect Highway 401 to the new bridge.