Study: Additional Crossing at Detroit River Needed
But Federal Official Says Inspection Holdups, Infrastructure Are the Real Problems
report by the Canada-U.S.-Ontario-Michigan Border Transportation Partnership found that without a new Detroit River crossing, the two countries will lose $28.6 billion annually by 2030 due to traffic congestion.
Despite the report, Jim Steele, Michigan division administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, said a new crossing is not needed, the Associated Press reported.
He said delays at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel and Ambassador Bridge were being caused by inspection holdups and the lack of access to freeways from the bridge in Ontario.
The crossings account for about a quarter of the $400 billion in goods that travel between the United States and Canada, the world's top two trade partners.
The group said it could take at least 10 years to complete a new crossing at a cost estimated between $400 million and $600 million.
The committee is expected next month to narrow the sites for a new bridge to three locations, but the final site might not be chosen until 2010, AP said.
Top proposals include building another bridge next to the Ambassador Bridge, building a separate bridge near Zug Island and covering a train tunnel to southwest Detroit into a twin truck and train tube, AP said.
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