Proposed NITC bridge eases congestion; Moroun’s doesn’t: study

DETROIT, Mich. — The New International Crossing (NITC) would help ease traffic congestion at the Detroit-Windsor border crossings, and Manuel Moroun’s Detroit International Bridge Co.’s (DIBC) bridge would not.

That’s according to an independent study by The Anderson Economic Group.

The NITC would add customs booths and border patrol facilities, as well as direct connections to I-75 and Highway 401— key ingredients for easing congestion — while the additional bridge lanes in the DIBC proposal would do little to unclog the bottleneck, the study explained.

If traffic volumes were to drop below estimates, tolls would go up, the study warned. 

While both bridges would be vulnerable to revenue shortfalls, the NITC faces a greater risk of coming up short due to its higher price tag, money borrowed, and competition from the nearby Ambassador bridge. The DIBC, with ownership of two bridges, could close down the Ambassador during periods of slow traffic.

The NITC would cost $2.2 billion, considerably more than the $400- to $500 million sticker price on the new DIBC bridge.

But it still comes to down to the issue of congestion and, the study notes, "each minute wasted in congestion is a minute wasted in production for many industries."