Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[mightyace]

Ambassador Bridge loses appeal against demo order

Interesting Side Note:

It is the largest US-Canada crossing in terms of truck traffic

[mightyace]

When all else fails, bring in the lawyers. 

Ambassador Bridge company sues Canada, FHWA, Mendez, LaHood, Coast Guard, Allen, Napolitano, US of A

More fun and games:
Ambassador Bridge owners DIBC extend complaint to NAFTA issues

[Hellfighter]

Granholm wants the new bridge plans approved by June 1

[mightyace]

Detroit bridge dispute sees rival PR efforts - lots of sound & fury about ifs, buts, & maybes

[The Premier]

This is a shame. I sure hope that all sides get their acts together and come to an agreement over the bridge. Playing politics over a bridge is very unacceptable and it has to stop, I don't care if it is a breach of contract or whatever. The last thing we need is a story about another bridge collapse because of this.

[mightyace]

^^^

Agreed.

IMHO, from what I've read, it looks like that the cross-border truck traffic could support either the second Ambassador Bridge span or the DRIC bridge, but not both in the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, I don't see the government entities and Mr. Moroun seeing eye to eye anytime soon.

The best hope for a solution would seem to be having Moroun out of the picture either by his retiring or expiring.

[Hellfighter]

Judge may hold Bridge President contempt in court

[Scott5114]

So when's Granholm going to show up brandishing a firearm?

[The Premier]

Trying to get the bridge completed in one year is an understatement of the week, especially due to the fact that I-75 near I-96 was at one point closed to build the ramp to the new bridge.

[rawmustard]

Canada wants to pay Michigan's share of $550 million.

Hmm, looks like Canada really wants to get this done. It would certainly give one of their citizens a boost.

[Hellfighter]

I say go ahead! Bypass the Moron!

[mightyace]

I say go ahead! Bypass the Moron!

I agree. 

From the article:

Stamper (of Detroit International Bridge Company) said the new bridge is unnecessary because traffic between the two countries would be dropping, and said it would siphon off 75% of the Ambassador Bridge traffic.

Besides the fact the Moroun has been a royal pain in the ... to everyone, it is easier (read cheaper) to make an all freeway connection to a new bridge than the Ambassador on the Canadian side.

This one puzzles me:

Rep. Lee Gonzales, D-Flint, a leading proponent of the DRIC said a second bridge span is needed as a matter of national security as much as commerce.

“In this post-9/11 world, you must have a publicly held bridge,” Gonzales said.

Why must it be publicly held?  The article doesn't say why the Honorable Mr. Gonzales thinks that.

I might agree on security on the issue of redundancy and having multiple crossings. 

But, being an idiot and a jerk is not, like Moroun, in and of itself a threat to security nor is private ownership.

[Hellfighter]

What a surprise, Moron sues Canada over the bridge offer

[The Premier]

What a surprise, Moron sues Canada over the bridge offer

Now I'm unimpressed.

[Terry Shea]

Trying to get the bridge completed in one year is an understatement of the week, especially due to the fact that I-75 near I-96 was at one point closed to build the ramp to the new bridge.

They're still going to use the ramp...it's just going to be a very long ramp to the downriver crossing!

[joseph1723]

What a surprise, Moron sues Canada over the bridge offer

Yeah I guess that's typical for him... I like your "conveniently" placed typo 

[Stephane Dumas]

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard slams the 2nd bridge http://www.freep.com/comments/article/20100430/NEWS15/100430030/Bouchard-slams-2nd-bridge-plan

[vdeane]

I have the perfect solution: let Mouron build the second bridge; force him to, in fact.  Also build the DRIC.  Having Mouron spend money and lose traffic should be enough punishment for his arrogance.

[The Premier]

I have the perfect solution: let Mouron build the second bridge; force him to, in fact.  Also build the DRIC.  Having Mouron spend money and lose traffic should be enough punishment for his arrogance.

I don't see that happening. Especially if he is forced by the Supreme Court to demolish the recently constructed bridge.

[agentsteel53]

I don't see that happening. Especially if he is forced by the Supreme Court to demolish the recently constructed bridge.

what kind of government idiots will order the destruction of a perfectly serviceable bridge?  talk about a waste of money!

[rawmustard]

what kind of government idiots will order the destruction of a perfectly serviceable bridge?  talk about a waste of money!

Right now it's merely an approach to a twin span to the Ambassador that the bridge company wants to build. The whole point of this dispute is determining whether building this approach was legal. Given Maroun's record, it's highly likely that it wasn't.

[Terry Shea]

So when's Granholm going to show up brandishing a firearm?

Not her style.  She'll probably make another trip to China, recruit 5 Chinese men to build the bridge and then proclaim "I've solved our unemployment problem!"

[haljackey]

So much for progress.

The Canadian side is pretty much done. The Windsor-Essex Parkway has been finalized which will connect the new crossing to the 401. All that's left is to appraise the homes in the parkway's way so the thing can actually get built.

But there's no rush in building the parkway if the bridge and boarder plazas take longer to construct. This is the 21st century for crying out loud. I know there's a contract and it's a capitalist market, but don't choke international trade between two friendly countries that want to do loads of business with eachother in this economic climate.

Just "Get'er done".

[Stephane Dumas]

Right now it's merely an approach to a twin span to the Ambassador that the bridge company wants to build. The whole point of this dispute is determining whether building this approach was legal. Given Maroun's record, it's highly likely that it wasn't.

Maybe they could find a way to recycle that approach, it'll be perfect for a stunt car chase a la Blues Brothers

[Scott5114]

So when's Granholm going to show up brandishing a firearm?

Not her style.  She'll probably make another trip to China, recruit 5 Chinese men to build the bridge and then proclaim "I've solved our unemployment problem!"

See, when this exact thing happened on the Oklahoma/Texas border in 1931, Oklahoma Gov. William H. "Alfalfa Bill" Murray showed up at the scene with a revolver, the Oklahoma Department of Highways, and the National Guard behind him, bound and determined to get that damned new bridge open.