It's been awhile since we checked in with Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel "Matty" Moroun, the 87-year-old billionaire who would likely sell his soul to stop the construction of a new bridge between Windsor and Detroit that he won't own.
Even as President Barack Obama's administration and Canada finally announced an agreement to fund the final piece of the planned $2.1 billion New International Trade Crossing, Moroun still hasn't ceded his plans to build a span of his own next to the Ambassador.
The city of Windsor has lawyered up in what the Windsor Star described as the "final push to shut down a proposal to twin the Ambassador Bridge." From the Star:
Mayor Drew Dilkens said Thursday the city has hired environmental lawyer David Estrin to respond to a final public feedback phase for the bridge’s “enhancement project.” It would see a new six-lane replacement span constructed parallel and just metres west of owner Matty Moroun’s existing privately operated four-lane bridge.
Moroun's company, Detroit International Bridge Company, gained initial approval to move his proposed bridge along, but he still requires approval from the a bevy of agencies, the Star reports, including the U.S. Environmental Agency.
A selection process that included Canada and the U.S. spiked Moroun's proposal years ago "largely due to the proximity to neighbourhoods on both sides of the border and inability for easy access from Highway 401 other than using local streets." Translation: Moroun has a better shot at winning the lottery than seeing this project come to fruition.
Moroun was the feature of many MT reports of the past, including this 2009 cover story here.
