DETROIT — The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has issued a waiver to its Buy America policy so that Canadian steel can be used in the construction of the new bridge planned for between Detroit and Windsor.

That’s not only good news for Canada, but the U.S. as well, as it allows components, materials and workers from both sides of the border to contribute to the Canadian-funded bridge.

According to the Windsor Star, five steel companies and Ford Motor Company threw their weight behind the waiver.

The Windsor Star also reported that 16 construction and transportation organizations joined the Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) in a letter that urged the Obama administration to quickly approve on construction the new bridge.

The Ambassador Bridge company, which wants to build its own crossing, was the only company to object to the waiver. In their objection, they noted that they would use only American steel.

A positive economic impact was also stated as a reason the U.S. approved the waiver; an estimated 10,000 construction jobs could be created from the project, and once the bridge is completed, an additional 6,800 permanent jobs is expected from private investment in and around the bridge. A hefty $2.2 billion in economic growth is also expected.