WINDSOR, Ont. (Mar. 21, 2005) — The public is being asked to weigh in on recent proposals for the Windsor-Detroit Gateway as part of the Bi-National environmental assessment study phase recently launched by the provincial and federal governments.

Over the next few months, the consultants for the Bi-National Partnership — representing governments in Canada, the U.S., Ontario, and Michigan — will be holding community events to listen to the ideas and concerns of all interested parties.

The public consultations will consist of informal drop-in sessions with information on study activities, issues, important community features and criteria to be considered during development of crossing alternatives.

The Partnership initiated the environmental assessment process in February, which will look at new or expanded routing and crossing capacity for North America’s largest border crossing region. The group is hoping to complete the assessment by 2007.

While there are several border solutions that will be reviewed — including twinning of the Ambassador Bridge; and the Detroit River Tunnel Partnership plan, which proposes to convert the underwater rail corridor into a dedicated two-way truck tunnel — a plan unveiled in January by New York traffic expert Sam Schwartz is likely to get the closest look.

Schwartz proposed a new “central” bridge 3 km southwest of the Ambassador. But he also pressed for a short-term solution to Windsor’s severe commercial traffic congestion on city streets, which includes a “horseshoe” bypass away from Huron Church Rd. near the suburb of Lasalle, leading to Ojibway Parkway and Brighton Beach.