WINDSOR, Ont. — Four levels of government will work together to solve a problem that threatens to slow Canada-U.S. trade on a grand scale: congestion at the Windsor-Detroit border crossing.

Canada, the U.S., Ontario and Michigan have announced a call for expressions of interest to conduct a study aimed at improving traffic flow at the international corridor, — one of the busiest international crossings in the world.

Funding is to be shared by all four governments. Preliminary discussions by officials over the last several months have laid the groundwork for this study which will contribute to effectively resolving this problem.

The study will assess the existing transportation network and long-range transportation plans in Southeast Michigan and Southwest Ontario.

“Strengthening the Detroit-Windsor gateway is one of the most urgent surface transportation issues in Canada — trade and transportation are suffering because of increasing congestion,” says federal Transport Minister David Collenette. “This crossing is the most important economic link between Canada and the United States.”

The process is being directed by the Ontario-Michigan Border Transportation Partnership, a working group composed of representatives from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, the Michigan Department of Transportation, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, and Transport Canada.

This planning, need and feasibility study — the first stage in a complex process — is expected to take approximately 24 months to complete.

Companies interested in undertaking the study are invited to submit expressions of interest outlining their qualifications and specialties.
Information will be available by May 23 on the electronic tendering service at: www.merx.cebra.com.