Canadian Study Team Welcomes Michigan Announcement

News Release

Windsor — The Canadian lead of the Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC) study team welcomes Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) announcement that the U.S. federal government has approved a new crossing of the Detroit River at Detroit.

“We were pleased to learn that our partner in the DRIC study has reached this major milestone,” said Dave Wake, DRIC study team lead in Canada. “Completing this last step under the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a credit to the U.S. team.”

On January 15, 2009, MDOT announced that the U.S. Federal Highway Administration released a Record of Decision, enabling design and property assembly to begin.

The Canada-U.S.-Ontario-Michigan Border Transportation Partnership commissioned the DRIC study to provide for the safe, efficient and secure movement of people and goods across the Canadian-U.S. border in the Windsor-Detroit corridor.

Through a coordinated process, the DRIC study team jointly selected and assessed a preferred river crossing to meet the requirements of the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and U.S. National Environmental Policy Act.

The new border transportation system will provide freeway to freeway access from Ontario’s Highway 401 to the interstate highway system in Michigan. The proposal includes new inspection plazas on both sides of the border and a new, six-lane bridge.

For more information on the Environmental Assessment Report visit www.partnershipborderstudy.com. For more information of The Windsor-Essex Parkway visit www.weparkway.ca.

This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.

Media Contacts

Pat Smith
Windsor Border Initiatives Implementation Group
Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Windsor
519-973-7359

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