14 November 2005
Border Transportation Partnership Identifies Central Area of Analysis for a New Detroit-Windsor Border Crossing
The governments of Canada, the United
States, Ontario and Michigan announced today that they have made significant
progress towards developing a new river crossing at the Detroit-Windsor
Gateway.
Applying the evaluation criteria jointly established by both Canada and
the United States has led the Border Transportation Partnership to concentrate
future study of a new border crossing and inspection plazas to the industrial
area of West Windsor. This area extends north generally from Broadway
Boulevard to the vicinity of Brock Street on the Canadian side, and a
corresponding area on the U.S. side extending upriver from Zug Island to just
south of the Ambassador Bridge.
As part of the next phase of environmental studies, the Border
Transportation Partnership will consider all aspects of developing the border
crossing system, which includes a river crossing as well as appropriate
customs plaza locations and connecting roads on both the U.S. and Canadian
sides of the border. Further detailed study, technical analysis and public
consultation will be conducted to identify the best end-to-end solution within
this area.
With this announcement, the Partnership is on track to identify the
preferred location of a new river crossing by mid-2007. The environmental
review requirements of both countries have been, and will continue to be
carefully applied throughout this process.
"Today the Partnership has taken a major step forward in the planning
process to develop additional border capacity at the Detroit-Windsor gateway,"
said Federal Transport Minister Jean C. Lapierre. "Canada shares a dynamic
multi-billion dollar trading relationship with the United States. It is
therefore important that we continue to move forward on this project in both a
practical and timely fashion to ensure no disruption to the safe, efficient
and secure movement of people and goods across the border in the Windsor-Detroit area."
"Relieving border congestion is a top priority for the McGuinty
Government," said Ontario Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar. "Forty-one
percent of Ontario-U.S. trade flows through the Windsor-Detroit border
crossing, making it Canada's premier trade gateway. We look forward to public
and stakeholder input as a vital part of the ongoing Environmental Assessment
process."
"The Border Transportation Partnership is a strong, respectful
collaboration between the United States and Canada. Together we have taken
another important step toward concluding this study. Now we will continue our
commitment to public participation and input during our careful analysis of
impacts and options as we move forward to provide safe, efficient border
crossings that strengthen our regional economy and quality of life," said
Gloria J. Jeff, Director of the Michigan Department of Transportation.
The Canada-United States-Ontario-Michigan Border Transportation
Partnership is comprised of technical experts and officials from Transport
Canada, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the Ontario Ministry of
Transportation and the Michigan Department of Transportation. The
Partnership's purpose is to improve the movement of people and goods across
the United States-Canada border in the Detroit-Windsor Gateway.
In October, the partners announced that the south and east alternatives
were eliminated from further study as the result of analysis. With today's
announcement, additional crossing alternatives have been eliminated:
- The capacity provided by the Detroit River Tunnel Partnership's
two-lane truckway proposal was determined to be inadequate to serve the
region's long-term needs;
- It was also determined that a six-lane freeway following the Canada
Southern (CASO) Rail corridor in Canada to a new river crossing, would
have caused major community impacts in significant urban areas on the
Canadian side of the border;
- Alternative crossings in the Morton Industrial Park area in Windsor
were determined to not be practical because the proposed U.S. plaza
site in River Rouge would have resulted in significant economic impacts
and time delays;
- Twinning the existing Ambassador Bridge was determined to not be
practical based on the community impacts of the proposed plaza and
access road in Canada. The Partnership will continue to explore the
U.S. customs plaza area of the Ambassador Bridge to connect to a
potential customs plaza on the Canadian side in the remaining area of
continued analysis.
The start of the formal environmental review was announced in February
2005. In June 2005, the Partnership presented the 15 alternative locations for
river crossings, along with the associated inspection plazas and roadways to
connect the plazas to the freeway systems in both countries. Eight other
options, including southerly routes through LaSalle, and Amherstburg, Ontario
and communities extending south from Ecorse to Trenton, Michigan, and the area
upriver near Belle Isle, were eliminated in early October 2005.
The Border Transportation Partnership will soon hold public meetings to
present the technical assessment to date, and seek public and stakeholder
comments on the preliminary list of practical alternatives. Public Information
Open Houses are scheduled in the Windsor area during the week of November 28,
2005 and public meetings are scheduled in the Detroit area during the week of
5 Dec 2005.
In March 2006, the Partnership will hold Public Information Open Houses
and public meetings in Canada and the United States to present a final list of
practical alternatives.
The governments of Canada, the United States, Ontario and Michigan are
committed to an efficient and secure Windsor-Detroit Gateway. The development
of additional border capacity is a national priority in both countries to
support the continued growth in trade between Canada and the United States.
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