FORT ERIE, Ont. — The Fort Erie Council has approved a resolution urging the U.S. State Department to deny permits to the Ambassador Niagara Signature Bridge Group, which is vying to build a second bridge across the Fort Erie-Buffalo border.

According to Buffalo Business First, the Fort Erie officials said a privately-built bridge does not meet a series of municipal or provincial long- or short-term plans.

The Detroit-based company, which owns and operates the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor-Detroit, wants to build a four-lane crossing next to the International Railroad Bridge that runs between Fort Erie and Buffalo’s Black Rock neighborhood.

The company’s proposal would be to handle the commercial truck traffic, while the Peace Bridge processes cars.

At the same time, the Ambassador company has been arguing against a second bridge being proposed by government officials at the busier Windsor Gateway.

The Peace Bridge, instead, wants to go ahead with its own Peace Bridge expansion project, which could begin by late 2009.

— with files from Buffalo Business First