• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Development
  • Food+Drink
  • Things To Do
  • Doing Good
  • Lifestyle
  • Arts
  • History
  • Lists

Daily Detroit

What To Know And Where To Go In Southeast Michigan

Header Right

  • PODCAST
  • NEWSLETTER
  • SUPPORT
  • ARCHIVE
  • CONTACT
  • LISTEN ON:
  • APPLE PODCASTS
  • SPOTIFY
  • GOOGLE PODCASTS
  • STITCHER
  • Submit An Idea To Daily Detroit
  • Get Your Daily Detroit Newsletter
  • Listen To The Daily Detroit Podcast
  • Contact Us
  • LISTEN ON:
  • APPLE PODCASTS
  • SPOTIFY
  • GOOGLE PODCASTS
  • STITCHER

Ambassador Bridge Ordered To Make Immediate Safety Repairs By Canadian Government

You are here: Home / News / Ambassador Bridge Ordered To Make Immediate Safety Repairs By Canadian Government

Sep 5, 2016 by Daily Detroit Staff

The Ambassador Bridge is not only an unmistakable part of Detroit’s skyline, it’s also the busiest port of entry in terms of commercial vehicles to Canada. In short – it’s crucial for trade between the United States and Canada.

The 86 year old span has been cited by Transport Canada as having unsafe railings and curbs.

The Direction concerns safety deficiencies found in a section of the bridge’s railings and curbs on the Canadian side. The deficiencies were observed during a Transport Canada safety inspection in August 2016, which prompted the department to issue the Direction in the interest of public safety.

The deficiencies pose a risk to the public and the department has advised the CTC to install temporary concrete barriers between the traffic on the bridge and the outside curb as a safety precaution.

This will have an immediate effect on traffic, as some parts of the bridge will go down to one lane each way because of the increased concrete barriers. Here’s how they’re to be installed, per Transit Canada:

  1. on the Canadian-bound westernmost lane of the Ambassador Bridge from the abutment of the bridge adjacent to the Canadian custom plaza to the Canadian tower adjacent to the suspended span; and
  2. on the United States-bound easternmost lane of the Ambassador Bridge from the abutment of the bridge adjacent to the Canadians custom plaza to the Canadian tower adjacent to the suspended span.

Ambassador bridge: temporary barriers between the traffic and the outside curb as a safety precaution. Please plan your travel ahead.

— Transport Canada (@Transport_gc) September 3, 2016

In strongly worded statement, the Canadian Minister of Transport was clear.

“The safety of the Ambassador Bridge is of critical importance, and I support the measures taken by my department to protect public safety. I ask the Canadian Transit Company, as the bridge’s owner, to do everything it can to speed up repair work in order to reduce crossing delays. Should action not be taken in a timely manner, I will not hesitate to take additional safety measures,” said Canadian Minister of Transport Marc Garneau.

The Canadian Transit Company is a wholly owned subsidiary on the Canadian side of the Detroit International Bridge Company.

The current bridge’s useful life is nearing an end, but plans for the new Gordie Howe International Bridge have been hitting snags as far as purchasing some needed land (that is owned by the owner of the Ambassador Bridge, Matty Maroun). Despite happy pronouncements by local politicians, it looks like there’s no reasonable way the second span is getting started on time. Maroun supports a second span, but one owned by him next to his current bridge.

A second span is a hot issue, since due to the large volume of trade that goes across it, some believe a structural failure of the current single bridge or a long-term closing could throw both the state of Michigan and the Canadian province of Ontario into an economic depression.

For traffic updates on wait times to cross the bridge (or other international crossings) go here.

FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Ambassador Bridge, Safety Repairs

Be In The Know In About 20 Minutes A Day

“Thanks for your excellent coverage! Daily Detroit is part of my morning routine and as a lifelong metro area resident I appreciate your focus.”

– Jessica

Be like Jessica and keep up on the news, stories, and people that are pushing the Motor City forward on the Daily Detroit podcast. Free in your podcast app of choice:

Apple logoGoogle logoSpotify logoAmazon logoPocketcasts logoStitcher logoOvercast logoIheartradio logoRss logo
Previous Post: « 9 Labor Day Facts That Might Surprise You
Next Post: Detroit’s Public Schools, Teachers Union Reach Tentative Contract Agreement »

Primary Sidebar

Support the businesses & orgs that keep us on the air!

Fusion Marketing

Media funded by listeners serves our listeners. Become a member, get swag!

Support this podcast

PODCAST: Luminarias Brighten Southwest Detroit; How To Support Women Veterans

What Is That Glowing Light Coming From Canada?

PODCAST: U of M’s COVID-19 Problems; Campbell In As Lions Coach, Stafford Out As QB w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: First Look At Coffee Down Under; Detroit Property Values Up; 5 Things To Know In Metro Detroit

PODCAST: Kwame Kilpatrick Will Walk Free; Metro Detroit Road Project Update

PODCAST: 6 Things To Know Around Detroit Plus Sports w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: The End Of Auto Shows As We Knew Them Plus NACTOY Winners w/ Eric Trytko

PODCAST: 7 Things To Know Around Metro Detroit

PODCAST: WTF Happened in Washington w/ Steve Friess

PODCAST: 7 Things To Know Around Metro Detroit

Get our newsletter covering what to know & where to go in Metro Detroit in your inbox!


Footer

Popular Topics

Belle Isle Brush Park Business Cars CBD City 5 City Of Detroit Corktown Crowdfunding Culture Development Doing Good Eastern Market East Riverfront Education Events Featured Ferndale Food + Drink Fun Green Hamtramck History Lifestyle Lists Macomb County Midtown New Center News Newsflash Oakland County Opinion Podcasts Policy Royal Oak Shopping Southwest Detroit Sports Staff Picks Tech Things To Do Transit University District Video Wayne County

On Social Media

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On InstagramVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On LinkedinCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Youtube
  • Submit An Idea To Daily Detroit
  • Get Your Daily Detroit Newsletter
  • Listen To The Daily Detroit Podcast
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 · Daily Detroit · 1420 Washington Blvd, Suite 301 · Detroit, MI 48226

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!