In The News

Truck traffic up 40 percent on Ambassador Bridge

The Public Borders Operators Association reported that 243,210 commercial trucks crossed the Ambassador Bridge in June, compared with 173,202 trucks in June 2009. That’s an increase of 40 percent.

Year to date, overall truck traffic is up 26 percent from last year at this time, the agency reported.

The Ambassador Bridge links Detroit with Windsor, Ontario, and is a vital crossing point for trucking and trade between the U.S. and Canada. The bridge is privately owned by trucking company owner and finance mogul Matty Moroun.

Moroun’s solution to congestion and other problems plaguing the border region is to build a twin span next to the Ambassador.

Public officials have other ideas, however. A bi-national group supported by lawmakers – including Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Canadian Transport Minister John Baird – is hoping to build a separate bridge known as the Detroit River International Crossing.

Supporters of the DRIC project are pinning their hopes on state legislation, HB4961, which has passed the Democratic-controlled Michigan House and is being debated in the Republican-controlled state Senate.

HB4961 would clear the way for the DRIC project to be built as a public-private partnership involving tolls, but would do so by opening the door for widespread use of PPPs and tolling throughout the state. Some lawmakers and groups are opposing the bill for that reason.

OOIDA, the National Motorists Association and the Public Interest Research Groups recently teamed up to urge opposition to HB4961 as it is currently worded. The groups are not against the DRIC being built, but are against the lack of protections for the taxpayer if tolling and PPPs are enabled throughout the state.

“Regardless of whether you have a preference for the Ambassador or DRIC bridge, we urge readers to contact their senators and ask them to vote “no” on HB4961 as passed by the House,” the three groups wrote in a letter submitted in June to Michigan press.

“The debate between these two competing bridges can and should be settled in a different manner, and not become the main driver for a bill that sets Michigan tolling policy throughout the rest of the state.”

Michigan state Rep. Paul Opsommer, R-DeWitt, has offered alternative language to HB4961 that would separate the DRIC project from the issue of statewide PPPs. The alternative bills are HJR FFF and HB6230. Opsommer also announced in June that he would push for a ballot measure to put the issue of public-private partnerships before voters.


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