The US Coast Guard has issued a permit, which was the final one needed to go ahead with the project. The permit was granted immediately after a court had rejected a request by the owner of the existing bridge for an injunction prevent it being issued.
The scheme is known by two names - the Detroit River International Crossing and the New International Trade Corridor. It includes a new six-lane bridge across the Detroit River, associated border inspection plazas and connections to the freeway systems in Ontario and Michigan.
The Canada-Michigan Crossing Agreement established the framework for each party’s roles and responsibilities for the construction, financing, operation and maintenance of the new international crossing. The government of Canada will fund the project, with the US customs facilities being the responsibility of the US government. The Canadian government is providing US$577 million over two years on a cash basis to advance the construction of the new crossing,
The Windsor-Detroit trade corridor is the most important international land crossing in North America, handling 30% of Canada-USA trade carried by road.
