Poll: Support Increasing For Government-Owned Bridge To Windsor
DETROIT (WWJ) - A newly released poll reveals that support is gaining traction among business owners for a government funded bridge between Detroit and Windsor.
The EPIC-MRA survey found that 60 percent now support the Detroit River International Crossing proposal, which is up 14 percent from a similar poll taken last November. The proposed bridge would be placed about two miles south of the Ambassador Bridge in Detroit's Delray area.
While the International Bridge, which Gov. Rick Snyder supports, still needs a signature to be official, Windsor Mayor Eddie Francis is already eager to get construction underway. "We have a design builder who has a very agressive schedule and we want to see this project put in place and operational as soon as possible," he said.
As support continues to mount for Snyder's plan, billionare Matty Moroun continues to lobby for a bridge of his own. The owner of the Ambassador Bridge is fighting for the ability to build his own span next to the current bridge using his own money.
However, Moroun still faces legal issues for civil contempt after it was revealed last month that his team failed to complete their portion of the "Gateway Project," a project to repair roads leading to the bridge. Battling with the state for the right to build his own bridge, Moroun refused Michigan Department of Transportation orders to repair existing roads and was jailed.
While the future is still unclear over whether the bridge will be approved and when construction can begin, Francis believes that the resulting incentives for a new bridge would be immense for Michigan citizens.
"Michigan taxpayers will benefit from thousands and thousands of jobs that are created as a result of this bridge being built."
