Pam Byrnes lauds House approval of bill that paves way for second Detroit-Ontario bridge
State Rep. Pam Byrnes, D-Lyndon Township, joined her colleagues in the state House today in a historic vote to allow the Michigan Department of Transportation to enter into public-private partnerships, a major step toward the construction of the Detroit River International Crossing.
Supporters of the proposed $5.3 billion bridge between Windsor and southwest Detroit say it will support trade, improve traffic flow and create tens of thousands of Michigan jobs.
"A second bridge from Detroit to Windsor is crucial to Michigan's economy and will create thousands of jobs our workers desperately need," Byrnes, chairwoman of the House Transportation Committee, said in a written statement.
"We must ensure that this border crossing can continue to support the hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in economic investment that depend on it and help business thrive in Michigan. Investments like this in our transportation infrastructure send a message across the nation and the world that Michigan is open for business."
The plan would allow MDOT to enter into a public-private partnership with one or more entities in order to attract private investment to help build the bridge. The new opportunity to draw private funding is a key step toward implementing the DRIC project, Byrnes said.
Studies done on the proposed project have found that an additional crossing between Detroit and Windsor would create as many as 40,000 direct and indirect jobs in Michigan, including 10,000 construction jobs.
The House also passed a plan to require MDOT to assist host communities in obtaining agreements with the state — or any private entities implementing a new international border crossing — to ensure that local communities benefit from construction. Together, the two plans pave the way for DRIC construction to begin.
Byrnes said a second bridge between Detroit and Windsor would make Michigan less susceptible to a terrorist attack. Without a second bridge, she said, an attack that would close the Ambassador Bridge would effectively bring all the business that comes through the border crossing to a halt, crippling business between Michigan and Canada.
Today's 56-51 vote is seen as a major setback for the Detroit International Bridge Company, which owns and operates the Ambassador Bridge. The company has spent years lobbying against the DRIC, which it sees as a threat to taxpayers as well as its annual $60 million in bridge revenues.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
Lokalisierung
Wed, Aug 25, 2010 : 6:05 p.m.
"I don't get it. Is there a congestion problem on the Ambassador?" Big time. Terrorist angle is silly, but it always gets thown in the mix.
Basic Bob
Sat, May 29, 2010 : 3:12 a.m.
@aabikes, "Is there a congestion problem on the Ambassador?" Yes. Traffic is very heavy on Huron Church Road in Windsor. There are frequent long delays. "Wouldn't that still leave the tunnel?" Yes, the tunnel is only two lanes and has horrible approaches on city streets on both sides. Traffic backs up through downtown Windsor like you wouldn't believe. Although expanding the Ambassador Bridge sounds like a good idea, it doesn't address the congestion issues on Huron Church Road in Windsor. The one big advantage of the DRIC is that there will be freeway access to the bridge on both sides of the border. Both the bridge and tunnel were built in the 1920s and won't last forever.
MARCDH
Wed, May 26, 2010 : 10:24 p.m.
1 dollar of michigan road money to four dollars federal money wow 550 million from canada equals 2.2 billion in our federal road dollars that michigan has no other source for that and a five billion dollar bridge are you kidding me are our senators retarded. or just bought and paid for. i refuse to believe they are that stupid. must be the latter. well now let me think i am just a construction worker and i am looking at this like this. if i was a businessman who had invested a hundred million dollars in a new crossing in new york how could i increese trafic flow enough to justify this new crossing. well i could choke off the crossing in detroit hope all manufacturing moves where there is decent crossings new york no big deal that the 20 million people who live in michigan are out of work for the next 100 years. construction trades in michigan are 60 percent unemployed we build and work on the manufacturing plants here we are not asking anyone for a handout.
aa3lw
Wed, May 26, 2010 : 8:45 p.m.
Thank you, Pam, for taking a stand on this! This bridge will be an asset to moving goods to and from Michigan and Canada, not to mention all of the jobs it will create (both in construction and employees). Putting Michigan workers back to work is not a waste of money- this is an investment in Michigan's economic future! Well done.
InsideTheHall
Wed, May 26, 2010 : 7:18 p.m.
Well do we believe Pam and those tens of thousands of jobs just like the Obama stimulus plan and all the jobs it was supposed to create?????? This is a waste of government money. If indeed a second bridge is needed then let the private sector do it. They can do it cheaper and faster. Can A2.com please ask Pam if the construction worker will require union (monopoly) labor???????? Come on A2.Com read the bill!!!!!!!