TransCan reaffirms intention to seek P3 for new bridge

TORONTO — A day after Canada’s transport minister and his American counterpart pledged their commitment for a new, separate border crossing at the Windsor-Detroit Gateway, Lawrence Cannon reiterated that Ottawa would pursue a deal with the private sector to build and likely operate the crossing.

Speaking at the annual conference of the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships, Cannon reaffirmed his commitment to increasing border crossing capacity between Windsor and Detroit with a new structure currently being studied by the Detroit River International Study (DRIC) — a group of Canadian and American government officials and bureaucrats.

Yesterday in Washington, Minister Cannon signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters that commits both nations to keeping a high priority on enhancing the capacity and infrastructure in the region.

Ottawa and Washington are standing behind plans for a
new crossing. But it’ll likely be P3s that build and run it.

“The new Windsor-Detroit border crossing is clearly a priority. A stronger border crossing will be good for Ontario, and good for the country,” Cannon told the audience.

Last year at the same conference, Cannon announced that Ottawa was seeking public-private partnerships (P3s) to design, build, finance and operate the Canadian inspection plaza and portion of a new bridge between Windsor and Detroit.

While the private sector would manage the day-to-day operations of the bridge, Cannon promised “effective public oversight.”

The official announcement that the federal governments of both nations are in full support of a new river crossing doesn’t bode well for the owners of the privately-owned and operated Ambassador bridge, which is in the process of building its own twin, six-lane span.

The Ambassador company has been actively lobbying against public funding of DRIC. And while the company has been successful in gathering some support for its project rather than DRIC at the state level, many municipal politicians in Detroit and, now it appears, Washington are behind the movement for a new, separate bridge.

As importantly, all three levels of government in Canada are backing DRIC as well, although some officials — especially at the local level in Windsor — prefer full government control of a new bridge rather than P3 alliances.