LANSING – State Representative Lee Gonzales (D-Flint Township) today applauded the signing of a record of decision by the U.S Department of Transportation for the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC). Today's action paves the way for the state of Michigan to begin the right-of-way acquisition and construction plans for a second bridge between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.
"I could not be more pleased that this project is moving forward," said Gonzales, a long-time advocate of the project. "The Detroit-Windsor crossing is our nation's most important border crossing, and the busiest trade corridor in the world. If we're serious about growing our economy and protecting Michigan jobs, building a second bridge to facilitate trade across the Detroit River must be a key part of that strategy."
Today's decision was the final step in an environmental review of the potential bridge, and completes the federal environmental clearance process. Environmental approval of the DRIC project took nearly four years – half the time for similar projects of this size –and involved over one hundred meetings and public hearings.
The Detroit-Windsor international trade route accounts for more than $160 billion in cross-border trade. That amount is more than the sum of U.S. exports to China and Japan combined. The majority of Michigan's trade with Canada is currently forced to use the Ambassador Bridge, the only crossing in Detroit capable of handling most freight. According to the DRIC study, truck traffic is expected to increase by 128 percent by 2035, meaning that additional capacity at the Detroit crossings is needed to protect the nearly 222,000 Michigan jobs that are reliant on trade between the United States and Canada.
"We cannot continue to put Michigan's economic health on the back of an 80-year-old bridge," Gonzales said. "Right now, if trucks are unable to cross over the Ambassador Bridge, the closest place for them to cross the border is in Port Huron. That's a detour that Michigan businesses and Michigan workers simply can't afford. Building a second bridge is a crucial step toward building a stronger Michigan."