WINDSOR, Ont. — The Detroit River Tunnel Partnership — which has been proposing to convert a rail tunnel into a truck route across the Detroit River between Windsor and Detroit — announced that is continuing work on tunneling all or substantial parts of the rail corridor, including the south end from Hwy. 401 to EC Row.

“The residents of Windsor, LaSalle and especially the Talbot Rd. area have made their position clear; they want the new border corridor to be tunneled,” said Mike Hurst, CEO of the DRTP. “Our partnership owns the existing transportation corridor, it is short, it gets trucks off city streets and there is little disruption to the community during construction.”

DRTP officials haven’t let any binational committee
stand in the way of their plans

The DRTP — a joint venture between CP Rail and Borealis Transportation Infrastructure Trust — had been vying to be considered by the binational Border Transportation Partnership, which, on behalf of local and federal government and transport officials, was charged with selecting the next border crossing between Windsor and Detroit.

In November 2005, the selection committee ruled out the DRTP Jobs Tunnel and the Ambassador Bridge’s plan to twin the current span in favour of a third option — and entirely new bridge crossing and inspection plazas “to the industrial area of West Windsor.”

At the time, DRTP government affairs director Marge Byington, said she was disappointed with the decision, but declared the Jobs Tunnel would proceed with or without government support. She also said that binational the process for selecting a new crossing had been hijacked by special interests strongly opposed to the Jobs Tunnel — a claim since backed by several stakeholders and high-ranking Michigan State politicians.

Meanwhile, Hurts says a recent poll indicated 71 percent of residents favour the tunneled corridor over a planned Talbot Rd bypass, which would take trucks off of Huron Church, up Talbot on the border with the suburb of LaSalle, and up to the proposed new bridge crossing in southwest Windsor.

“Overall, Windsor-Essex residents support our rail corridor two to one over Talbot Rd.,” Hurst said. “Tunneling in our existing rail corridor is the solution that many in the community may be seeking.”