US$ 950 million Detroit to Canada bridge approved

US and Canadian officials have reached an agreement to construct a second bridge across the Detroit River connecting Detroit in Michigan, US, with Windsor in Ontario, Canada.

Canada will shoulder the entire estimated US$ 950 million (CA$ 971 million) cost of the New International Trade Crossing (NITC) and will appoint a private company to handle the design, construction and operation concession.

The Canadian government will charge tolls to reimburse its costs, but the toll booths would only be on the Canadian side. The finance agreement will also see Canada pay all land acquisition costs in Michigan and Canada. Environmental clearances have been granted in both the US and Canada.

Canada is Michigan's largest trading partner, and the existing Ambassador Bridge over the Detroit River is the busiest trade crossing on the US/Canada border. Michigan Governor Rick Snyder said the existing bridge was the number one traffic bottleneck in the entire Pan-American freeway system, and the NITC project was a milestone in Michigan's redevelopment.

The project, which is forecast to take ten years to build and create 10000 jobs, will provide a direct connection between I-75 in Michigan and Highway 401 in Canada, reducing the amount of truck traffic that goes through residential communities.