WASHINGTON: Funding has been secured to build the US customs plaza for the new Detroit River bridge, but questions remain whether Washington will provide sufficient funding estimated at $50 million per year for staff and equipment.
“Gov. (Rick) Snyder continues to talk with our Michigan delegation and the Obama administration about covering costs for the American workers in the (US) customs facilities connected to the planned Detroit crossing to Canada,” said Dave Murray, a spokesman for Snyder.
“This is a vitally important infrastructure project for both countries, creating jobs long into the future as American companies do business with our neighbours.”
The private sector partner soon to be selected by Canada’s federal government to build the $2.1-billion Detroit River International Crossing project will pay the anticipated $250 million cost to build the U.S. customs plaza.
But only verbal commitments for staffing have come so far, leaving US Sen Gary Peters (D-Detroit) in his new role as a member of US Senate Committee on Homeland Security pushing hard to secure permanent operational funding.
His Republican counterparts in Congress have been resisting any commitments — including elected federal representatives from Michigan.
The Detroit News reported Monday that several Republican congressman from Michigan have accepted donations from Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun, who has lobbied hard to stop the DRIC bridge and instead secure approvals for his own twin-span crossing.
Contributions to Michigan congressional campaigns in the most recent election cycle by the Moroun family and associates totalled $228,000, the News reported. Moroun’s bridge company also spent $520,000 in 2013-14 to lobby interests in Washington pertaining to his bridge interests in Detroit.
Canada’s Consul General Doug George expressed confidence Monday the U.S. federal government will sufficiently fund customs operations for the DRIC bridge despite the lobbying and politics.
“The U.S. government has committed to staffing and equipping the U.S. port of entry,” he said. “There is nothing we have heard to lead us to suspect they are not going to do it.
“We are confident the U.S. government will support this important border crossing as part of the ongoing operations of the Department of Homeland Security. It’s in their economic interests to make sure it runs as efficient as possible.”
An official with Transport Canada indicated the agreement to build the DRIC bridge does not include operational funds for customs staffing on either side of the border.
“Those staffing costs are the responsibility of the inspection agencies in Canada and the United States,” said spokesman Mark Butler.
“The United States government has previously committed to providing staff and equipment to operate their side of the new publicly owned bridge and reiterated this commitment in February of this year.”
The DRIC bridge project is scheduled to be completed and open for traffic in 2020.
Butler said officials from both nations “continue to work closely together to have this new crossing completed as early as possible.”
Local MP Brian Masse (NDP-Windsor West) is concerned any funding for customs at the DRIC bridge will end up being pulled from existing Homeland Security funding.
