New International Trade Crossing in Detroit

**ABetterDetroit** · February-18-15, 05:36 PM

http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...deal/23606333/

Looks like a done deal. Great news for everyone who isn't Matty!

**Richard** · February-18-15, 06:32 PM

They were quick to announce Parsons,read who the board of directors are.

http://www.parsons.com/about-parsons...directors.aspx

**Scottathew** · February-18-15, 06:40 PM

Snyder and the supporters of this are awesome.

It feels great to see that Matty Moroun and all his bought-and-paid-for republicans in Lansing can't stop it.

**401don** · February-18-15, 06:55 PM

Originally Posted by 48307

Snyder and the supporters of this are awesome.

It feels great to see that Matty Moroun and all his bought-and-paid-for republicans in Lansing can't stop it.

Manny may not have stopped it but he managed to set it back a few years. If you measure how much he spent on legal fees and lobbying against the extra years of revenue, Manny probably considers it money well spent.

**Richard** · February-18-15, 06:58 PM

All that happened is the bought n paid for switched to out of state.
$15 Million was good bang for the buck.

at the end of the day it does not matter and the city becomes a stop on Route 66.

Most of the states clout in DC is set to retire after this year so it was a now or never situation.

**Vic01** · February-18-15, 06:59 PM

Looks like Matty can't buy the Canadian politicians...

from the article -
U.S. and Canadian officials Wednesday afternoon announced a long-awaited deal to build a new customs plaza in Detroit, marking one of the last hurdles to be crossed before construction of a new international span can get underway.Lisa Riatt, Canada's transport minister, announced the agreement in a news release from Ottawa even as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Washington was issuing a statement committing to pay for the staffing and operation of the customs plaza once it opens.
"This arrangement is good for Canada and for Canadians. It ensures that all the elements of the project will ultimately be delivered," Riatt said in her statement. "It also allows Canada and Michigan to move the project forward immediately to its next steps, which include further design work and property acquisition on the U.S. side of the border.

The Free Press first reported the details of the arrangement, which was apparently signed Tuesday, earlier Wednesday.
It calls for the Canadian government to provide for the $250- to $300-million to construct the customs plaza upfront as part of the public-private partnership which will design, finance, construct and operate the bridge. Because that funding will be paid for by bridge tolls, Riatt noted it won't be a cost borne by Canadian taxpayers.

**canuck** · February-18-15, 07:16 PM

You figure at least one of the three contributing writers would have got the minister's name right: Lisa Raitt. What are the chances the 3 of them are dysleskick?

**Hypestyles** · February-18-15, 08:33 PM

so how do you apply for jobs in the operations? White collar, blue collar...

**Vic01** · February-19-15, 03:47 AM

Here's the white collar, you'll have to do a bit a research for the blue collar...

"Meanwhile, early hiring for the project continues. In January, the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, a nonprofit Canadian entity that is leading the bridge project, sought applicants to fill a range of staffing jobs in administration, communications, information technology, human resources, policy analysis, accounting and finance, engineering, operations and legal.

Also, in late January, the bridge authority announced it had awarded a significant engineering contract worth $17-million to the giant engineering firm Parsons to serve as the general engineering consultant for the project. Anyone wishing to apply for one of the posted jobs should visit the website thejobsshoppe.com or call 519-979-4400".

**Bham1982** · February-19-15, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by ABetterDetroit

http://www.freep.com/story/news/loca...deal/23606333/

Looks like a done deal. Great news for everyone who isn't Matty!

Horrible news for Michigan taxpayers, SW Detroit residents, and anyone breathing air in the vicinity of SW. Good for Ontario, though.

Michiganders will be paying for the Blue Water Bridge for basically forever, thanks to this "free" bridge. Blue Water isn't even making minimum revenue projections, deficit is growing, let's add another bridge because another country will pay for it, and because it will piss off Matty.

**mikeg19** · February-19-15, 07:41 AM

Just to get it out of the way, I'm a supporter of this project for a lot of reasons. But I can't help but think that this project has made the U.S look pathetic, bumbling, short sighted, and cheap.
Between the lawsuits with Matty, the refusal of the U.S government to pay for the customs plaza when that was basically the only thing that they had to do, and the fact that Canada is paying for THE ENTIRE FUCKING THING [[albeit we will repay through tolls), we look like complete idiots.

Yea, woo hoo, were getting a new bridge that might open in 5 years if everything goes the way it should. Meanwhile in places anywhere outside the U.S basically, entire cities go up in that amount of time. The amount of ineptitude and political squabbling in this country is enough to make one sit back and say What The Hell?

**rb336** · February-19-15, 08:24 AM

The United States used to have the best infrastructure in the world. The US looks pathetic because it utterly fails to keep up that infrastructure, often going to short-term fixes instead of real restoration. We have no foresight, an utter lack of ability to see beyond an immediate savings to invest in something that will cost less in the long run by building/engineering it to higher standards. No one in authority seems to understand one simple fact - when it comes to economic development, he who has the best infrastructure wins. Our politicians are so bent on giving tax breaks to their patrons and screwing working people [[true of both the alleged "left" and right) that they can't even think about doing anything that benefits the long view - it's all about getting more assets into the hands of the wealthiest who fund their campaigns.

**Honky Tonk** · February-19-15, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Horrible news for Michigan taxpayers, SW Detroit residents, and anyone breathing air in the vicinity of SW. Good for Ontario, though.

Michiganders will be paying for the Blue Water Bridge for basically forever, thanks to this "free" bridge. Blue Water isn't even making minimum revenue projections, deficit is growing, let's add another bridge because another country will pay for it, and because it will piss off Matty.

An even better idea would be to let Mr. Maroun put up a second span and become a trillionaire. Meanwhile, when we need to generate revenue, we can just jack-up taxes for the common man, because, after all, it's his fault he has to drive to work everyday.

**GPCharles** · February-19-15, 09:16 AM

I am no fan of Mr. Moroun, but think about this for a minute. Why is Canada being so good to us? They screwed up big-time, allowing Windsor to develop residentially from the bridge to the 401, creating major problems with their electorate. In the last 10-15 years, we have spent a ton of taxpayer money connecting the bridge directly to I-75. Now they are connecting the 401 to the not yet constructed bridge to alleviate a problem that they allowed to develop.

We are doing them a major favor -they should pay for the whole thing. Now the US gets to destroy another neighborhood and pay millions of dollars for additional and duplicative infrastructure.

**Dexlin** · February-19-15, 09:19 AM

Ain't crap going to be "destroyed" down that way for this bridge. There is basically nothing left in terms of a residential neighborhood where the bridge infrastructure will be.

**gnome** · February-19-15, 09:36 AM

Originally Posted by GPCharles

I am no fan of Mr. Moroun, but think about this for a minute. Why is Canada being so good to us? They screwed up big-time, allowing Windsor to develop residentially from the bridge to the 401, creating major problems with their electorate. In the last 10-15 years, we have spent a ton of taxpayer money connecting the bridge directly to I-75. Now they are connecting the 401 to the not yet constructed bridge to alleviate a problem that they allowed to develop.

We are doing them a major favor -they should pay for the whole thing. Now the US gets to destroy another neighborhood and pay millions of dollars for additional and duplicative infrastructure.

What the heck are you talking about?

**GPCharles** · February-19-15, 10:00 AM

When original Ambassador Bridge was constructed in 1927, there was nothing between the bridge and what eventually became the 401. Over the years, as Windsor expanded westward, Huron Church Road became very residential in nature. Truck traffic over the bridge grew exponentially. Now you have major truck traffic backed up on a residential thoroughfare. Oops.

Canada has expanded the E.C. Row further westward to what is now their end of the new bridge, in effect waiting for the new bridge to be built. This is known as the "if you build it, the bridge will come" approach.

I fully expect that when the new bridge is completed, Huron Church Road will be closed to heavy truck traffic, thus eliminating their problem.

**ordinary** · February-19-15, 10:13 AM

Where is the actual location of the plaza going to be?

**Dexlin** · February-19-15, 10:23 AM

Originally Posted by ordinary

Where is the actual location of the plaza going to be?

It's an aread bound by the NS Detroit Line railway to the north, Campbell to the east, Jefferson to the south, and Post and Springwell Ct. to the west. Basically, everything immediately north of Fort Wayne and Lafarge Cement's operations on the river. The plaza has an east-west orientation.

From there, the freeway connector to I-75 will be bound between Campbell to the east and Livernois to the west. The interchange will be elevated above Fort. The bridge and approaches, itself, begin above Jefferson and curves around to the south of the Lafarge cement silo.

**davep** · February-19-15, 08:37 PM

I hope this also means a redesign of the plaza now that the Canadians will be building it. I've never liked the proposed configuration of the Detroit side of the plaza. I'd like to see something that doesn't sprawl any more than it absolutely has to.

**emu steve** · February-23-15, 01:52 PM

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...idge/23881905/

Is this the last hurdle which has been handled?

**MSUguy** · February-23-15, 03:49 PM

Originally Posted by emu steve

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/new...idge/23881905/

Is this the last hurdle which has been handled?

I'd say so, the Sixth Circuit firmly backed the Record of Decision locating the in Delray. Matty and anyone who doesn't want the bridge in Delray are out of options. I'm sure they'll end up in court with some owners over property acquisition, but this is a straight case forward case of eminent domain, the state of going to get that land.

http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions...4a0127p-06.pdf

**noggin** · February-23-15, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by 48307

Snyder and the supporters of this are awesome.

It feels great to see that Matty Moroun and all his bought-and-paid-for republicans in Lansing can't stop it.

Just want to point out that Matty is an equal opportunity political corruptor. Mr. Obama submitted the federal budget without the customs plaza. Maybe the newly elected Senator Gary Peters made a lot of noise about it, he clearly has no influence in bringing home the bacon back to Michigan, just like most of our representatives.

**ordinary** · February-23-15, 06:20 PM

Dexlin,
Thanks for the information. I don't work that far away from there and I just wanted to see what it looked like before they start construction.

**401don** · February-23-15, 10:26 PM

Has anyone seen any projections on how many yrs. it will take for tolls to pay for all of this. As a Canadian taxpayer, I`m curious if it will be paid off during my lifetime. I`m guessing there`s really nothing Matty can do to entice traffic to his bridge. Dropping a truck toll from 15 bucks to 5 is not exactly going to make up for the extra time and gas. Only local traffic will use the Ambassador and the new bridge will make Detroit & Windsor bypasses.