Border tunnel considers truck ban

WINDSOR, Ont. (Aug. 20, 2002) — The Detroit & Canada Tunnel Corp. is considering limiting or eliminating truck traffic through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

According to the Windsor Star, a report titled “Vision for the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel” suggests that new tunnel plazas “would only accommodate larger commercial vehicles on a limited basis.”

Limiting truck traffic, the report says, would mean less pollution and congestion in downtown Windsor and Detroit, as well as reduced road construction costs and longer road life.

The plan, however unlikely, would spell further problems for cross-border trade unless alternative routes or transportation methods are created. Twenty-five per cent of all Canada-U.S trade passes between Windsor and Detroit. Approximately 10,000 trucks per day converge on Huron Church Road and secondary arteries in Windsor, creating a bottleneck that constricts trade flows, and puts severe strain on infrastructure.

Last month Canadian Pacific Railway and Borealis Transportation Infrastructure Trust said they are examining ways to convert a rail tunnel under the Detroit River into a new dedicated truck and rail corridor between Windsor, Ont., and Detroit.

The Detroit River Tunnel Partnership (DRTP), which owns the existing rail tunnel and rail corridor between Hwy. 401 in Ontario and I-75 in Michigan, will examine converting the existing tunnel’s two rail tubes into a state-of-the-art truck route.

The work will also examine the development of a new rail tunnel in the same corridor to accommodate all types of modern rail cars. Together, the truck and rail tunnels would form a secure zone for an efficient, cost-effective route designed to serve freight traffic.

-with files from Truckinginfo.com