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The Canada-U.S. Bi-National Transportation Partnership is planning the new Detroit River International Crossing (DRIC). The partnership is composed of:
The project is a U.S.-Canadian, I-75 to Highway 401, end-to-end solution consisting of five components: a new international crossing; the Canadian customs plaza; the U.S. border inspection plaza; the interchange between the U.S. bridge/plaza and Interstate 75; and the highway connector between the Canadian bridge/plaza and Highway 401. It is the partnership’s intention to seek a public-private partnership (P3) for the bridge and plaza portion of the project.
The new Detroit River crossing will be a six-lane bridge that will provide three Canada-bound lanes and three U.S.-bound lanes. The new crossing will accommodate future travel demand, both in terms of meeting capacity and providing flexibility to stream traffic on the crossing to improve border processing (e.g., dedicated nexus/Fast lanes).
The new crossing will be constructed to link inspection plazas on the Canadian and U.S. sides of the Detroit River, and will be a key component of the new end-to-end transportation system that will link the existing Highway 401 to the U.S. Interstate system. The crossing will consist of a main bridge that will span the width of the Detroit River and is designed to provide navigational clearances that meet U.S. and Canadian requirements. It will also include approaches to the main bridge that will connect to plazas in both Canada and the United States.
Selection of the bridge type will be made during subsequent design phases of this project. Neither bridge type requires piers to be placed in the Detroit River.
In Canada, border inspection plaza alternatives were developed in consideration of the need to provide improved border processing facilities to meet future travel demand and security requirements at the border crossing. The new plaza will be designed to serve future (2035 and beyond) travel demands at the border crossing. Initial construction of the plaza may not include the fully developed plaza, as the plaza may be developed in stages. The initial construction of the plaza will be such that future expansion will be possible by way of constructing additional inspection or toll booths.
The plaza was developed in consultation with the Canada Border Services Agency and provides sufficient area for primary inspection lane booths and on-site secondary inspection of people and goods. The plaza alternative also allows for dedicated nexus and Fast lanes, and provides for substantial improvement of border crossing processing capabilities.
The plaza will be situated within the Brighton Beach Industrial Park, bounded by the Detroit River, Chappus Street, Ojibway Parkway and Broadway Street. The plaza includes a total area of 202 acres (72.8 hectares); a total of 29 inbound inspection lanes; a total of 103 secondary inspection parking spaces for commercial vehicles; nine toll collection lanes; and storm water management features to control the quality and quantity of run-off rain water.
The new access road will be a controlled access highway connection approximately 11 kilometres long located between the Border Services plaza and the provincial highway network. The connection is a six-lane urban freeway with interchanges, grade separations, road closings and service roads. The connection includes a combination of below-grade, at-grade and above-grade segments, and 11 short-tunnelled (or covered) sections. The width of the right of way varies and, where possible, existing rights of way will be used. Along the corridor, the maximum width of the new right of way, not including the existing right of way, is approximately 300 metres.
Ontario is responsible for the delivery of the Windsor-Essex Parkway that will connect Highway 401 with the new border inspection plaza and bridge. The province concluded financial close of the concession agreement in December 2010 with the consortium that will construct the new highway.
The Government of Canada in Budget 2007 committed to funding up to 50 percent of eligible capital costs of the project, and Budget 2011 capped the potential contribution at a maximum of $1 billion. Transport Canada is reviewing the project business and is expected to conclude a contribution agreement with Ontario in 2011.
The Windsor-Detroit crossing is the busiest land border crossing in North America.
Environmental assessments were approved for the project on both sides of the border in 2009. The Province of Ontario reached financial close in December 2010 with the private-sector concessionaire that will construct the new highway connecting to the new bridge. Some construction work has already started and more got underway in the summer of 2011.
Lead Department | Transport Canada |
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Contracting Authority | Deloitte |
Participating Departments | Canada Border Services Agency, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Environment Canada |
Prime Contractor | Deloitte 181 Bay Street, Suite 1100, Toronto ON M5J 2V1 Direct 416-643-8382 | Fax 416-601-6690 |
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Major Subcontractor(s) |
Investment Grade Traffic & Revenue Forecast Wilbur Smith Associates Cost Consultant Davis Langdon Bridge Technical Advisor Delcan |
Major Milestone | Date |
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1. An environmental assessment was launched with 15 options considered. | February 2005 |
2. Options were narrowed to three potential crossing locations, three potential plaza locations and five potential access road designs. | March 2006 |
3. The technically preferred Ontario access road was announced. | May 1, 2008 |
4. The technically and environmentally preferred alternative for the crossing and plaza locations was announced. | June 18, 2008 |
5. The U.S. Final Environmental Impact Statement was published for final comment. | December 5, 2008 |
6. The final Ontario Environmental Assessment Report was submitted to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Final Screening Report was submitted to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. | December 31, 2008 |
7. The U.S. Record of Decision was made public. | January 14, 2009 |
8. Ontario’s environmental assessment was approved. | August 24, 2009 |
9. The federal environmental assessment was approved. | December 3, 2009 |
10. Financial close was reached for the Windsor-Essex Parkway. | December 17, 2010 |
The project is designed to achieve the following substantive goals:
In June 2009, expenditure authority approvals were provided for Phase I implementation of the Detroit River Crossing major Crown project for the acquisition and implementation of infrastructure projects related to the first of two groups of properties, for the Canadian half of the new international bridge and its Canadian customs plaza, at a substantive cost of $60.9 million, inclusive of GST of $2.9 million.
To date, Transport Canada has acquired 80 percent of the properties it requires for the Canadian customs plaza. By the fall of 2011, Transport Canada will have acquired all of the individual properties, with only six industrial properties remaining. Transport Canada continues to negotiate with the remaining property owners to acquire the needed land as expeditiously as possible.
In 2009, the project received the requisite environmental approvals in both countries. Future progress on the new crossing is being threatened by multiple legal and trade challenges, as well as the uncertainty of project approval by the Michigan legislature.
Project implementation in Michigan is contingent on authorizing state legislation that was tabled for discussion in the Michigan Senate in June 2011. Due to Michigan’s financial situation and to enable the legislation to be passed, Canada has committed to covering the costs for project components in Michigan that would not be funded by the private sector or the United States government, up to a maximum of U.S.$550 million. This is not a loan, but increased equity in the project. The Government of Canada would expect repayment from the anticipated toll revenues to be generated from the operation of the new bridge.
The investment in new border infrastructure will result in a number of positive economic impacts. Recently conducted studies concluded that the direct and indirect (e.g., materials, equipment, services, etc.) impacts of the entire border infrastructure project will lead to the creation of approximately 23,000 jobs, including approximately 13,000 direct and 10,000 indirect employment opportunities. This is particularly noteworthy in that Statistics Canada has reported that the Windsor-Essex region has one of the highest unemployment rates in Canada. Ancillary benefits of these jobs are expected to result in increases in consumer spending, as personal income and company profits in the region improve.