FHWA 01-09
Contact: Doug Hecox, Tel.: (202) 366-0660
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
USDOT Signs ‘Record of Decision’ for Detroit River International Crossing
WASHINGTON - Plans to build a second border crossing between Michigan and
Ontario have received the necessary environmental approvals from the U.S.
Department of Transportation.
The “record of decision” (ROD), signed today by U.S. officials, represents the
Detroit River International Crossing’s (DRIC) final environmental clearance and
allows Michigan to begin right-of-way acquisition and construction planning for
the bridge.
If completed, the project - including a plaza where tolls and U.S. border
inspection activities will occur, and an interchange connecting it to I-75 -
would span nearly seven miles. Under current estimates, the new crossing is
expected to be open to traffic in 2013.
Environmental review for the U.S. side of the project, which concluded with
today’s ROD signing, began March 24, 2003, with the publication of a Notice of
Intent in the Federal Register. A similar review of environmental impacts on the
river’s Canadian side conducted earlier this year by Ontario and Transport
Canada is nearing completion.
The process to complete DRIC’s federal environmental documentation lasted less
than four years, about half the time needed for similar projects of this size,
and included more than 100 meetings and public hearings.
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