Posted on 04/13/2013 8:57:33 AM PDT by Squawk 8888
LONDON, Ont. — Plans for the new Detroit-Windsor bridge cleared another hurdle Friday when it got a much-anticipated presidential permit.
“A lot of people are very excited. We’ve been in this region waiting for some time for this announcement,” said Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis.
“We all knew the presidential permit wasn’t a question of if, it was a question of when.”
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder made the announcement in Detroit with politicians on both sides of the border in attendance.
But trouble could be brewing as Ambassador Bridge owner and billionaire Manuel (Matty) Moroun filed a civil lawsuit this year to block the permit — which clears the way for construction on the publicly owned bridge to begin — claiming he has exclusive rights to operate the Windsor-Detroit crossing without competition.
The claim is based on an opinion from a law professor at Wayne State University, said Roy Norton, a Canadian consul-general based in Detroit who was a key player in forging the deal to construct the new bridge.
“No legal scholar not in the pay of the Moroun’s seems to share that opinion,” Norton said.
Moroun has been trying to hold up the second bridge, spending millions to block the approvals.
Francis said the decision over whether a second bridge was a go was put to rest last June when Snyder and Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a deal.
“From my perspective that was the green light and everything else was a matter of process and steps that needed to be followed,” he said.
But he did add the presidential permit was a “key” step.
“It is very positive news that the presidential permit has been issued because now if there were naysayers out there, if there were doubters out there, that puts it all to rest today. The permit’s been issued, the work’s going to begin, the bridge is going to be built and everybody can move on and focus on jobs and the economy.”
Snyder called it a good day, saying the permit is about much more than a bridge, but jobs and the future of Michigan.
“We have a $70-billion relationship with Canada. We are best partners and friends in terms of international relations,” he said. “In the short term, the construction will provide thousands of jobs to Michiganders and Canadians. It’s a win for all, long- and short-term.”
Labour Minister Lisa Raitt said the priority now is to start construction as soon as possible.
The bridge, she added, will be good for the auto industry.
Is the tunnel still in service?
Yeah, the tunnel is the primary automobile crossing. Cars can and do cross the bridge but most don’t because of the endless backup.
There’s one thing, and only one that matters. Is the Ambassador (and tunnel if it’s still there) congested? Yes? Then build the bridge. I don’t care why there’s commerce, enable it.
They need more bridges in Detroit so they can get out of town faster.
p.s.I also got hit by a car in Detroit when I was five years (1955) old visiting my grandparents. When I got older, I wish I had asked my parents the name of the guy who slammed on his brakes in time to avoid killing some idiot kid who ran out in the street after getting his teddy bear out of the car. Don't remember a thing except seeing some headlights and then waking up the next day in my grandparents living room with my foot heavily bruised. Fortunately, my head is too hard to sustain serious damage even from an automobile. I wish I knew the guys name so I could send him a thankyou card.
I’ve never crossed the border at Detroit. The times I’ve gone to Canada I’ve crossed at Port Huron.
I think you've tried this before on other threads, and the answer is still, "no". We will, however, consider a trade if you will take Quebec.
“Another bridge? How fast do people need to escape Detroit?
LOL! I was thinking along similar lines! I heard on the news that most of the remaining residents of Detroit are unemployable for a number of reasons. So, if they want to migrate to Canada I think it would be fantastic. Then, Detroit could be bulldozed and the land used for farming. Just had a thought; we need to make sure that the bridge is built so that traffic can only flow north. We don’t want any returns in this deal... :)
8^)
5.56mm
At the present time, when you cross the Ambassador Bridge or use the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel (the latter is basically off limits to trucks), once past Canadian immigration and customs you are on city surface streets in Windsor. Ontario’s main east-west superhighway, Route 401, doesn’t begin in earnest until 13 km (8 miles) east of the Detroit River.
The Ambassador Bridge is one of the oldest steel suspension bridges in use (dating to the 1920s); it is narrow and will need replacing within the next 10-20 years anyhow. What the new bridge (I understand it will be called the “Gordie Howe Bridge”) will accomplish will be not only a new modern bridge designed to accomodate heavy truck traffic, but also the approach highways will bring Route 401 right up to the Detroit River, and the approaches on the Michigan side will provide direct access to the Detroit freeway system (you have to exit I-75 onto surface streets to end up on the Ambassador Bridge or the tunnel at present).
So, heavy duty through truck traffic which clogs Windsor’s streets will be diverted onto the new limited access highway.
This will be good for both cities and countries.
Smart conservatives in America are on board with this and with fixing Detroit.
Himself settled in SW Detroit to raise his family. My grandmother was first generation Irish. We belonged to All Saints Parish, a satellite church of the larger Holy Redeemer.
Is "here" the San Francisco Bay Area? (As in Mark Twain's supposed remark, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco"?)
It's about the most effective way of dealing with crime I can think of, truthfully.
"Here" IS San Francisco, the city. Our foggiest time is July and August. The westerly winds come howling in around 3:00 in the afternoon. We have no flying insects--flies, mosquitoes--NONE. Way too cold for them.
Occasionally a fly will be seen but it's so cold that the fly is sluggish and one can kill it easily.
I go out to Fort Funston every morning and take a walk. It's where the hang gliders fly and it's a very popular dog walking place. Dogs and the ocean, two of Our Lord's finest creations.
Mark Twain OBVIOUSLY didn't know how to dress for The City: layers. One puts on and peels the layers. It is usually in the low 50's during the winter and the mid-high 50's in the summer. During the summer it MIGHT get to a blazing 70 degrees in the afternoon for a few minutes. I love it.
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