New Bridge Connecting Detroit with Canada Begins Construction
Work has officially begun on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which faced fierce opposition during its conceptual period
Detroit will soon have two bridges connecting it to Canada
Photo: Pixabay
U.S.-Canadian trade relations are more than a little rocky at the moment. The U.S. government recently enacted significant tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, and the Canadian government responded with targeted tariffs of its own.
Still, trade between Canada and the U.S. hasn’t come to a complete stop. Indeed, there are actually several projects underway to make trade between the two nations even more efficient.
One such project recently broke ground, as work began on the Gordie Howe International Bridge earlier this week.
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Once completed, the Gordie Howe International Bridge will connect Detroit’s Delray district to the city of Windsor in Canada. This will provide industries in both countries with two major Detroit-area bridges to ship supplies across.
The current owners of the existing Ambassador Bridge, the Moroun family, is less than happy about a new bridge opening up. In fact, the Moroun family has filed multiple lawsuits in both the U.S. and Canadian court systems, but so far, all of these lawsuits have been dismissed.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder was a major proponent of the Gordie Howe International Bridge
The Moroun family wan’t the only obstacle preventing this bridge from becoming a reality. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, the main proponent for the project, could not convince Michigan legislators to help pay for half of the project.
Instead, Snyder convinced Canada to pay for the entire cost of the bridge upfront. In return, Canada will be reimbursed through future tolls collected from those utilizing the bridge.
“This is an exciting day for Detroit, Windsor, Michigan, Ontario, the United States and Canada,” Snyder stated during the groundbreaking event for the bridge. “After more than seven years of hard work, today we broke ground on what will be a thriving legacy named for a legend. Gordie Howe represented the best of Canada and the United States. And, thanks to the hard work of many people on both sides of the border, now this bridge to the future will represent our prosperous partnership for generations to come.”
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Even though work has officially begun for the bridge, it could be quite some time before Detroit residents can drive across it. Full-scale construction is not set to begin until this fall.
As of right now, the bridge is expected to be completed by 2022 or 2023. Once the six-lane bridge is complete, it will provide Detroit-based automakers with another means of transporting supplies back and forth between Canada and the United States.
News Source: Detroit Free Press
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